ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — First responders were sent to a brush fire in Ross Township early Tuesday afternoon.
Fire officials tell Channel 11 it started by the Duquesne Light substation near Thompson Run Road and West Sutter Road around 2:30 p.m.
The fire burned between two to two and a half acres of land.
Flames got within 100 yards away from homes in the area, but none were damaged. No one was hurt.
A neighbor who’s lived in the area for over two decades tells Channel 11 that a fire like this is a common occurrence.
“This happens all the time, it happens three to five times a year that I know of, and I’ve actually reported a couple of them when I see them on the hillside because the transformers blow up,” David Adair said.
The fire was inching closer to Adrian’s Pizza on Thompson Run Road across the street from the station.
“We were taking a delivery out. I walked outside the door, and I saw this hillside right over here on fire,” said Adrian’s Pizza Owner Michael Porreca. “We grabbed the fire extinguisher, but the fire was too intense for that.”
Nearly 20 different fire departments raced to keep the brush fire from spreading up the hillside. Crews fought the flames for two hours.
Nearby roads were blocked off, including West Sutter Road where the flames were getting dangerously close to Adair’s home. He was about to take matters into his own hands.
“I was getting ready to get the pump in my swimming pool. I got 25,000 gallons in it, put sprinklers on the roof. That’s how bad it was,” Adair said. “This guy across the street, he had his water hoses out.”
Adair is blaming the fire on the substation. He said he heard one of its transformers explode and then saw flames.
“Boom, boom, boom and then the fire starts,” Adair said. “They explode. All the oil comes out of them, and they hit the ground.”
A spokesperson for Duquesne Light said no equipment was affected at the station but the fire caused a cable issue in a nearby area, leaving about 600 customers without power for about an hour.
In statement, a DLC spokesperson said:
“DLC’s top priority is the safety of our customers and our employees. At this time, it is unclear whether our equipment contributed to the brush fire as it is under investigation. We’re continuing to work with all relevant parties to understand the cause.”
The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.
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