Vacant Donora apartment building destroyed in blaze
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A vacant apartment building in Donora was demolished after fire raged through the three-story structure early Thursday morning.
“It’s being torn down for safety reasons,” said Donald Pavelko, mayor of Donora, at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday as firefighters were on the scene amidst the rubble.
Firefighters from four Washington County departments responded to the 700 block of McKean Avenue, the borough’s main thoroughfare. There were no injuries as a result of the fire, which caused a partial collapse of the building.
Pavelko said the fire call came in shortly after 3 a.m.
“By the time the call came in, it was totally engulfed,” Pavelko said. “It was a blaze, it really cooked. It’s total destruction. I stayed there until about 6:30 (a.m.). The fire was out, but there were still some hot spots that they were hosing down.”
The state police fire marshal was contacted to investigate the cause of the blaze
Joining firefighters from Donora at the scene were members of the Charleroi, Carroll Township and Bentleyville fire departments. Rostraver West Newton Emergency Services also assisted.
Staff writer Jon Andreassi contributed to this report