Etna fire chief says person who started massive warehouse fire tried to put it out

PITTSBURGH — Etna fire officials said they now know what caused a warehouse to go up in flames, destroying millions of dollars' worth of cars stored there.

The Etna fire chief said someone working on a motorcycle sparked the fire. That person tried to use a fire extinguisher to put it out, but it spread too fast.

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"The very first crews advancing those hose lines in had zero visibility as soon as they went into that building," Etna Fire Chief Greg Porter said.

Beyond the fire's destruction, its smoke posed a risk to the entire community, and an enormous number of resources were needed to fight it.

"It was the most resource-intensive fire I've been involved in with the most moving parts, the most companies. pieces of equipment, and I think it was one of the most risky fires," Porter said.

Porter told Channel 11's Renee Wallace tjat when his crews first arrived they didn't know what they were in for.

"I did think it would be an easy fire. It was dispatched as a motorcycle on fire and, in the scheme of what we deal with, I would not find that to be a significant event any day of the week," he said.

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