WILKINSBURG, Pa. — Several apartments and businesses were affected by a fire at a three-story building on Wood Street in Wilkinsburg on Tuesday.
A man was taken to a hospital after suffering burns during the fire. The man who is hospitalized for burns was last listed in critical condition, officials said.
Flames and smoke were first reported about 2 a.m. Businesses are located on the bottom floor, with apartments above. About 10 people lived in the building. No one else was hurt.
The owner of a hair salon located in the building, which had only been open for a little more than two years, is now left picking up the pieces from this devastating fire. The business owner says business just started picking back up.
“This shop is my everything. I started this salon about two and a half years ago. I worked four jobs trying to open this salon,” Orissa Bey, owner of O’Bey Beauty Salon.
When Bey opened her beauty salon she was proud to see her hard work pay off.
“We service a lot of people. Hundreds of people. We have everyday customers on a daily basis,” he said.
Now Bey’s customers are right by her side as she tries to cope with the reality of what just happened to her salon. She says she has insurance, but there are certain expenses she may have to cover on her own.
“We were just now getting back to business as I thought and we get hit with this tragedy which was so sad,” she said.
Even though this is a devastating blow, Bey is thankful everyone made it out of the fire alive and she’s more determined than ever to get back on her feet.
“I’m not going to give up. No way shape or form, I’ve come too far. We have come too far to just lay down right now,” she said.
A gofundme has been set up to help get the salon back open.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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