Fire damages planes, hangar at Rostraver Airport

A fire that damaged a privately owned hangar and at least two airplanes Wednesday at Rostraver Airport was quickly extinguished, said Gabe Monzo, Westmoreland County Airport Authority executive director.

With other buildings and hangars just feet away from the fire, as well as the potential dangers inside them, the fast response was key to preventing additional damage, he said.

“It’s always dangerous because of the type of fuel that the aircraft have on them, but they got a quick stop to it,” Monzo said.

The fire was reported around 9:45 a.m. at the airport off Route 51 close to the border of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Monzo said maintenance crews working there noticed smoke.

Rostraver Central Fire Chief Vince Campbell said it took firefighters about 10 minutes to put out the flames in the rear corner of the building.

No one was hurt. A state police fire marshal is investigating the cause, which Monzo said may be electrical. The hangar had moderate damage but seems to be repairable, he said.

The owner of the hangar, Francis Hicks, 82, of Forward Township said he regularly flies one of the planes and was planning to sell another before the fire broke out.

He has been flying since the 1970s, and bought the planes in the 1990s.

While Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity has a fire department based on site, the Rostraver facility does not, Monzo said. Nearby fire companies in both areas visit their respective airports annually to train and become familiar with the facilities, he said.

The fire did not affect airport operations.

This story is updated to reflect that Francis Hicks of Forward Township is the owner of the hangar.