DR. DARRYL JONES is fire chief for the City of Pittsburgh.
Officials give fire safety tips for homes during winter months
Tragically, seven people have died in four residential fires in Allegheny County in the past week and a half.
Five were African Americans.
On Sunday night, Dec. 11, a fire started in an apartment on the 12th floor of the Roosevelt Building, Downtown. An 80-year-old African American woman, Barbara Johnson, attempted to escape the fire by going down the stairwell, but was unable to make it out. Firefighters found her in the stairwell. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The following morning, Dec. 12, a fire caused residents to evacuate from the Brinton Towers apartment building in Braddock Hills. An African American man, 60-year-old Kevin Prince, was in the building at the time of the fire. He was rushed to a hospital where he died.
And in the early morning hours of Saturday, Dec. 17, a fire was reported at a home in the 3400 block of McClure Ave. in Brighton Heights. Thirteen people were inside the home at the time. Two adults and eight children were able to escape; however, firefighters found three people—a 19-year-old Black man, Dijon Hutchinson, and two African American children—inside the home. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
A report released in July 2021 from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed that between 2016-2018, African Americans had nearly double the rate of residential fire deaths as the national average. A population of 13 percent in the U.S., Blacks accounted for 24 percent of all residential fire deaths and 27 percent of all residential fire injuries.
But the data isn’t just confined to that three-year period. It was essentially the same disparity in a 2014 National Fire Protection Association report, which studied house fires from 2007-2011.
Local investigators are in the process of determining the causes of the fires, including the fire at a home in Sewickley early Tuesday morning, Dec. 13, that claimed the lives of two young children. The investigation will also reveal if there were working smoke detectors in the residences, and sprinkler systems in the high-rise buildings and specific apartments.
Dr. Darryl Jones, who is the City of Pittsburgh’s fire chief, was heartbroken in an interview on KDKA Radio, Dec. 12, upon learning of the Sewickley fire, which, at the time, was the third fatal fire in as many days in the county.
“That’s the one thing that troubles me all the time is the death of the children,” Dr. Jones said. “No matter how hard we really try to educate, and the technology changes and everything that we try to do, despite our best efforts, sometimes things just don’t work out the way we want them to.” Dr. Jones did say that in the Roosevelt Building fire, sprinkler systems were in place and working in the hallways, but there were no sprinkler systems in individual apartments.
The fire “would have been extinguished a lot sooner if there were sprinklers in the apartments,” Dr. Jones said on KDKA Radio.
In an exclusive interview with the New Pittsburgh Courier, Dec. 20, City of Pittsburgh Assistant Fire Chief of Risk Management, Brian Kokkila, said the risk of fire can increase in the winter months.
“There is an increase in fires related to home heating, and sometimes alternative methods of heating,” he said. “It’s important that your primary heating source be well-functioning and be serviced regularly to ensure that it’s operating properly and not an issue.”
Kokkila also said space heaters can cause a problem. “It’s very important that we recognize, space heaters are designed to be plugged directly into the power source and not to be operated with extension cords. And it’s very important to recognize that those space heaters need to have sufficient clearance from combustible items.”
Kokkila said there must be at least three feet of clearance between a space heater and a combustible item, such as bedding or curtains.
Specifically to extension cords, Kokkila said they “vary in gauge of wire,” which is how much power a cord can carry. “Extension cords are only designed for a temporary use. Not running a space heater for a day, but rather to run a piece of power equipment or lighting for a very temporary period. They’re not designed for permanent application.”
Kokkila also advised residents to stay away from using candles inside the home. “Candles are an absolute cause of fires, and especially that December-January seems to be the peak nationwide for candles being a home fire cause.”
Having working smoke detectors is a must in the home, as well. The National Fire Protection Association recommends having them in every bedroom, in stairways leading to upper levels, and in a living room, den or family room. Smoke alarms should be tested monthly, batteries should be changed yearly, and alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
The borough of Wilkinsburg suffered a crushing blow when two students, both African Americans, died in a house fire on Shelbourne Avenue on Oct. 29. A fire that started in the kitchen quickly engulfed the home. Seven-year-old Novad Loveings and 6-year-old Brecc Loveings died as a result of the fire. Wilkinsburg Mayor Dontae Comans, the school board of directors and borough Council partnered with the Red Cross and Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire for the “Sound the Alarm” program. With Dr. Jones, the partners went into homes in Wilkinsburg and installed free smoke detectors. Dr. Jones estimated about 100 smoke detectors were installed for roughly 40 families on Dec. 3, and there are appointments to install even more.
Wilkinsburg residents can request a smoke detector by calling 412-263-5278.
Within the City of Pittsburgh, there is a program within the Bureau of Fire that provides fire safety programs and demonstrations to community groups and schools. For more information, residents or groups can call 412-255-2866. The City of Pittsburgh will also supply and install smoke detectors to any city resident who requests one. To request a smoke detector, call 412-255-2863.
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