Couple able to escape from house fire in Marshall-Shadeland
A couple was able to escape a house fire on Thursday afternoon in Pittsburgh's Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood as smoke billowed from every window, eave, and crevice of their house on the corner.
According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, the fire started around noon.
"This is crazy, I lost everything," said Brenda McElroy, the homeowner.
She said her son and daughter-in-law live there but the home did not have any heat which became a problem in this frigid weather.
"My son was running a propane turbo heater and I guess something happened and he was trying to put it out, but the house went up," she described.
McElroy said she has been staying with a friend in the neighborhood and that's where she was when she heard the sirens.
"I ran over here to see what was going on because I know everyone and I thought it was someone I knew or our house," she said.
She said that both her son and daughter-in-law were able to get out safely, but it's just the latest tragedy she's experienced. It was the third fire she's been part of in her life.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," she said.
Public safety has said they haven't pinpointed the cause of the fire yet and expect that once cleanup is done, it will be a lengthy investigation.
With temperatures dropping down into the teens today, the water pouring from the firefighters' hoses turned the ground to ice and caked the surrounding tres and bushes in icicles.
"It's terribly cold outside today, I'm sure that makes it harder for them but as far as fighting the fire, they're well-equipped to do that," McElroy.
McElroy said her two cats were also in the home when the fire started but unfortunately, it's not clear what happened to them.
"I'm praying the cats got out but I'm thankful my son and daughter-in-law are okay," she said.
