Tenants Forced Out By Fire Inside Roosevelt Arms Building In Downtown Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Dontae Hall lives on the 12th floor of the Roosevelt Arms apartment building on Penn Avenue.

He had to spring to safety around 11:30 p.m. Sunday.

"Everybody was freaking out," said Hall, who recently moved into the building. "So I ran to the other stairwell to go downstairs. They let me through. They navigated me out of there. It was a high-pressure situation."

Pittsburgh Public Safety said firefighters were able to contain the flames to one apartment.

Thankfully no one was hurt, but six residents could not return home.

"A high-rise plan was put into effect," Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said. "It was a third-alarm fire and firefighters went from floor to floor moving residents out of the structure and into a Port Authority bus, and one of the businesses generously opened its doors."

The Red Cross also offered assistance.

Hall said the warm buses were critical because fom elder residents didn't have coats.

"It took hours for them to clear it out," Hall said. "So it was freezing cold, so that was really the only thing on my mind ... I hope everyone's OK."

Hall returned to his apartment at about 3 a.m. Monday. Five other tenants are expected to be able to go back into their homes Monday as well. The tenant in the unit where the fire started will not be able to return Monday, however.

It's not known what caused the fire.