New Kensington chief says quick response to van fire behind station prevented catastrophe

A quick response by firefighters after a van erupted in flames Thursday in the alley behind New Kensington’s No. 3 fire station prevented the flames from spreading to nearby homes, according to authorities.

Residents fled from several nearby homes after a Volkswagen van that was being driven by a man caught fire about noon, according to New Kensington fire Chief Ed Saliba. The driver was not injured.

The fire was reported at noon in Equator Alley, which runs behind the fire station at the corner of Victoria Avenue and Walnut Street, the chief said.

“One of our assistant fire chiefs (Matt Sobecki) is a code enforcement officer and was first on the scene to report that a vehicle fire was endangering nearby structures,” Saliba said.

“The fire burned the Insulbrick on one of the structures, melted the siding on another and was just starting to get into the garage of a third home when crews arrived,” he said. “If not for the quick response, we could have had a catastrophe here today. These are mostly frame homes that are close together and Insulbrick burns like gasoline when it ignites.”

None of the homes sustained interior or structural damage, and residents will be permitted to return after the scene is cleared, the chief said.

Firefighters from other New Kensington stations, along with crews from Arnold, responded.

A strong smell of gasoline from the van was in the air, and firefighters repeatedly doused the charred vehicle with chemical foam to extinguish the flames and prevent them from reigniting.