Crews Battle Intense Churchill House Fire
CHURCHILL (KDKA) – Crews battled an intense house fire in Churchill this morning.
According to officials at the scene, the fire broke out at a home in the 100-block of Kingsdale Road.
A man was home alone when several motorists passing by saw smoke, knocked of the door and helped him get out.
"I just thank god that 2 people coming down the street saw the fire and beat on the door," homeowner Thompson Mitchell said.
Churchill firefighters observed flames and thick smoke when they arrived.
However, two nearby fire hydrants were frozen, which hampered their efforts to fight the fire.
"When we first pulled up, we did have a problem with the water supply. So, we had to come out of the building a couple of times and reestablish the water supply. Unfortunately, that meant that we couldn't send more guys in and there's more damage to the house due to the water supply," Churchill Fire Department Chief Ralph Zatlin said.
One firefighter suffered from a shortage of breath at the scene.
The cause of the fire is unknown and the chief plans to talk to the Water Authority about the frozen hydrants.
Stay With KDKA.com For More Details
You May Also Be Interested In These Latest News Stories
Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter