Several escape serious injury in downtown Washington building fire
WEB fire 2
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
Firefighters work at the scene of Ruschel Photo Studio in Washington Thursday morning.
Firefighters work at the scene of Ruschel Photo Studio in Washington Thursday morning.
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
Firefighters work at the scene of a building fire in downtown Washington Thursday morning.
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire Thursday morning in downtown Washington.
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
Firefighters work Thursday morning at the scene of a fire in Washington.
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
Washington Fire Chief Gerald Coleman, right, assesses the front of the apartment building that caught fire Thursday morning in downtown Washington.
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
Firefighters attempt to put out a fire in a Washington building Thursday morning.
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
A firefighter climbs a ladder over a building that caught fire Thursday morning in Washington.
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
A firefighter climbs a ladder Thursday morning at the scene of a fire in a downtown Washington building.
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
A firefighter works Thursday morning at the scene of a fire in a Washington building.
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
Several people were reportedly able to escape injury Thursday morning after a fire broke out in a downtown Washington building.
All of Washington photographer William Ruschel’s work – dating back to 1957 – was gone in a matter of minutes Thursday morning.
Firefighters from several departments responded to a fire that destroyed the downtown Washington building housing Ruschel’s photography studio and multiple apartment units.
“I got a call on the phone. My daughter told me the studio was on fire. She heard it on the news,” Ruschel said. “I went down and watched it. It was quite devastating … My whole livelihood was tied up in the business. To see it going up into flames – words can’t express how you feel about it.”
Washington police were the first on the scene. Officers tried to enter through the rear of the building that houses the photo studio in an effort to evacuate residents, but the smoke was too heavy and they had to back out. About six residents made it out of the front of the building and across the street to Joe’s Bakery, police said.
Two people were taken to Washington Hospital with minor injuries, said Washington fire Chief Gerald Coleman.
The owner of Joe’s Bakery, Joe Vucic, noticed smoke across the street, at 120 N. Main, about 7 a.m. and called 911. By 8 a.m. the fire had spread through the roof and crews from several fire departments were attempting to protect nearby buildings, including the recently renovated Life Church on the corner of North Main and East Chestnut streets.
The Red Cross arrived about 8:30 a.m. to assist the residents of the apartments, who all left with representatives of the organization about 9 a.m. The Red Cross said the organization is assisting six adults with food, clothing and shelter.
The building is a total loss. The roof and parts of the first floor collapsed, according to Coleman.
Ruschel moved his business into the building in 1989. Inside were all of the photographs, negatives and paperwork from his long career of shooting senior portraits, weddings and class reunions.
“We photographed tens of thousands of students – 5,000 students a year at one time,” Ruschel said, adding that some families were customers for three or four generations.
Sandy Bertosch, Ruschel’s daughter, said his work as a photographer began well before he started his own business in 1957.
“He started taking weddings when he was 12 with my grandfather,” Bertosch said.
At 87, Ruschel continues to work, and was still shooting senior portraits and class reunions. He said that the first few months of the year are the slowest, and that there were no outstanding orders that will go unfulfilled as a result of the fire.
The fire marshal is investigating. Coleman said the fire is not considered to be suspicious, and may have started in the basement. Ruschel said that is where he stored negatives.
“We don’t know that for sure, but one resident told us he had smoke in his apartment, and he opened up a hatch in the floor where the pipes ran. He said that’s where fire and smoke was coming up. So that was below him,” Coleman said.
“I believe it was burning for quite some time. It was a very deep-seated fire,” he added.
Coleman said investigators would try to get into the basement when the building is deemed safe to enter, but was unsure if it would be possible.
According to Coleman, the building next door at 116 N. Main did not sustain any fire damage but did have severe water damage.
Along with Vucic, other local business owners did what they could to help while the building was burning.
Stefan Getzik, owner of the chiropractic practice across the street, kept his building open as a warming center for the emergency crews and handed out water.
Amy Neal Huss, a real estate agent, owns a building across the street from Ruschel’s.
“There were people standing on the street in bare feet. So we came in here and got them socks and shoes and blankets. Anything we could do to keep them warm,” Huss said.
Assisting Washington firefighters and police at the scene were North Strabane, South Strabane and Peters Township fire departments along with EMS personnel.
“We got a lot of help. We work with these guys all the time. All the surrounding departments did an outstanding job keeping this to the building,” Coleman said.
Ruschel offered his thanks to all of the customers who patronized his business over the years.
“I made a tremendous amount of friends throughout the community,” Ruschel said. “Any place I go … There’s always someone who says, ‘Hi, Mr. Ruschel.’ All the time.”