Sheds catch fire in Cheswick, send flames '60 feet into the air'

Firefighters responding to a call on Cheswick’s South Highland Avenue on Sunday night knew they weren’t going to an ordinary fire.

The volunteers could see towering flames above the neighborhood and then heard multiple explosions.

“You could see the flames all across Cheswick,” Cheswick fire Chief Rick Franks said. “Flames were 60 feet into the air when we arrived.”

Franks said initial reports indicated several houses might be on fire, but upon arrival, firefighters learned that two sheds were burning.

The explosions happened before firefighters arrived on the scene. The owner of the larger of the two sheds said it housed a propane tank and several cans of gasoline, according to Franks.

“The shed was loaded with other items that gave fuel to the flames,” Franks said.

At least 50 firefighters from 10 fire departments arrived in the neighborhood just after 11 p.m.

When it was clear that two sheds were burning and not multiple houses, firefighters focused on keeping the fire from spreading to nearby houses.

Both sheds were destroyed.

The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s office in investigating.