2 flown to hospital, multiple rescued after senior high-rise caught fire
PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR AT FOUR STARTS NOW. HEY EVERYBODY. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE FOR PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR AT 4:00. I’M KELLY SASSO AND GOOD AFTERNOON. I’M ANDREW STOCKEY. CERTAINLY A BUSY DAY HERE IN OUR NEWSROOM. SO HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING AND WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON, BEGINNING WITH YOUR TOP FOUR STORIES AT 4:00. WE WANT TO START HERE WITH THIS LIVE LOOK AT I-79. THIS IS NEAR THE WEST VIRGINIA BORDER. SOME OF OUR SOUTHERN COMMUNITIES THIS EVENING WILL BE GETTING SOME SNOW FOR THE REST OF US. IT’S BEEN A HEAT WAVE. TODAY BROUGHT US CLOSER TO FREEZING THAN WE HAVE BEEN IN A LONG TIME. A MAN, POLICE SAY WAS NAKED IN THE KNIVES INTO A LOCAL EYE DOCTOR’S OFFICE. POLICE SAY ONCE INSIDE, HE DAMAGED FURNITURE AND EVEN HAD AN EMPLOYEE CORNERED BEFORE POLICE COULD CHASE HIM OUT. ALSO, SCHOOLS, CANNABIS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. THOSE ARE THE THREE BIG FOCUSES OF GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO’S NEW BUDGET. HE JUST ANNOUNCED THE $53 BILLION SPENDING PLAN TODAY. OUR CURRENT BUDGET, KEEP IN MIND, WAS SO DELAYED IT WAS ACTUALLY JUST SIGNED INTO LAW THREE MONTHS AGO. AND THE STAGE IS SET. WE’RE GETTING OUR FIRST LOOK AT THE STAGE FOR APRIL’S NFL DRAFT. FOOTBALL WORLD TAKING OVER THE NORTH SHORE IN APRIL. THE STAGE GOING UP RIGHT OUTSIDE ACRISURE STADIUM. DON’T FORGET YOU CAN SEE THE DRAFT LIVE RIGHT HERE ON WTAE CHANNEL FOUR. THOSE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES AT 4:00 ON THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON. TIME NOW TO FOCUS LIKE A LASER BEAM ON PITTSBURGH’S ACTION WEATHER. YEAH, A LOT TO GET TO. IT WAS NICE TO SEE THOSE RENDERINGS, THOUGH. FROM THE DRAFT THERE WAS NO SNOW. ANYONE NOTICED IN THE BACKGROUND? OH, NOT RIGHT NOW. WE CAN’T AT THIS POINT. LATE APRIL. SURELY WE’RE GOING TO BE FINISHED WITH THIS BY THEN. HOPEFULLY. IF ANYTHING, APRIL, I THINK WE HAVE MORE OF A FLOODING CONCERN THAN A SNOW CONCERN. YEAH, THAT’S THE OTHER PROBLEM WEATHER WISE. BUT TODAY WAS NICE. WE SAW A LITTLE BIT OF SUNSHINE AND TEMPERATURES DID REBOUND, BUT OUR COLD MORNINGS COME BACK. TOMORROW WE’LL START IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. MORE SNOW IS HERE ON FRIDAY. THAT IS THE FIRST OF OUR IMPACT DAYS AND THE WEEKEND. IT’S GOING TO BE FRIGID AGAIN. UNFORTUNATELY, ACROSS WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, TEMPERATURES ARE NOT BAD OUTSIDE THE AIRPORTS AT 29 RIGHT NOW. WE WERE 30 LAST HOUR, 28, MONROEVILLE 30. IN GREENSBURG, 34. IN UNIONTOWN, 33 RIGHT NOW IN WAYNESBURG, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SNOW SHOWERS, MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I 68. AS EXPECTED SO FAR THIS ALONG THE NORTH OF 422, IN PORTIONS OF BUTLER COUNTY. ANY SNOW THOUGH NORTH OF 70 WILL BE LIGHT. NOT EXPECTING MUCH ACCUMULATION OUT OF THAT AGAIN. SINGLE DIGITS RETURN TOMORROW AND THURSDAY MORNINGS, FRIDAYS AND THEN BACK DAY FOR SNOW AND THE COLD SETS IN FOR THE WEEKEND. BUT WE WILL BREAK FREEZING NEXT WEEK AND WE WILL DO IT MULTIPLE DAYS. OKAY, SO THE THAW IS COMING. WE JUST HAVE TO GET THROUGH THE WEEKEND. I’M SORRY ABOUT ASKING YOU FOR THE 79 DAY FORECAST. YEAH, IF I COULD DO THAT, I WOULDN’T BE HERE. YEAH, WE WANT IT, THOUGH. WE NEED SOME KIND OF HOPE. SO. ALL RIGHT, BRIAN, WE APPRECIATE IT. WE’LL SEE YOU HERE IN JUST A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. CHECK THAT OUT. THAT’S ONE WAY TO BREAK UP THE ICE. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR WENT BACK TO FARRAGUT STREET TODAY IN THE CITY’S HIGHLAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD. PITTSBURGH WATER CREWS WERE THERE WORKING TO REMOVE THE ICE BUILDUP THAT HAS BEEN TRAPPING CARS. WE BROUGHT YOU THIS STORY YESTERDAY. MAYOR COREY O’CONNOR SAYS HE HAS NOW OPENED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS SITUATION. NOW, ALL NEW THIS AFTERNOON, A SCARY SITUATION FOR THOSE WORKING INSIDE A WESTMORELAND COUNTY EYE DOCTOR’S OFFICE. POLICE SAY A NAKED MAN WENT INSIDE SWINGING TWO LARGE KNIVES AT A MAN. MAN APPARENTLY DID SOME DAMAGE TO THE DISPLAYS INSIDE THE STORE AS WELL. WESTMORELAND BUREAU REPORTER JOINING US LIVE FROM WHERE THIS HAPPENED, AND WE KNOW YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO SOME OF THOSE EMPLOYEES. SOUNDS LIKE THIS WAS A PRETTY WILD STORY. THAT’S ONE WAY TO PUT IT, KELLY. IT STARTED JUST AROUND 1:00 YESTERDAY, ACCORDING TO POLICE. RIGHT HERE ON THIS SIDEWALK, ONE OF THE WORKERS FROM INSIDE THE CHECK I GROUP HERE WAS STANDING RIGHT WHERE I AM AND SAW A MAN COMING DOWN THE STREET HOLDING TWO KNIVES. AND THAT’S WHEN SHE RAN BACK INSIDE. THE MAN ALLEGEDLY FOLLOWED HER. AND WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT? AS KELLY MENTIONED, IT’S WILD TO SAY THE LEAST. THAT WORKER WENT BACK INDOORS TO WARN HER COWORKERS THAT SOMEONE WAS FOLLOWING HER WITH THOSE KNIVES. AND POLICE SAY THAT MAN WAS DARNELL HOWELL. HE ALLEGEDLY TOOK OFF HIS GYM SHORTS, MAKING HIM COMPLETELY NAKED, KNOCKED OVER DISPLAY CASES, STABBED A COUCH INSIDE 16 TIMES, AND THEN HE ALSO MADE MARKS ON THE WALLS, STABBING THOSE AS WELL. EMPLOYEES INSIDE SAY THAT THEY TRIED TO GET INTO THAT. HE TRIED TO GET INTO OTHER LOCKED ROOMS AND EVEN HAD A WORKER CORNERED AT ONE POINT WHILE HAVING THOSE KNIVES, POLICE CHASED HIM OUT OF THE SHOP SOON AFTER AND HAD HIM IN CUSTODY NOT LONG AFTER THAT. HE DID NOT SAY A WORD. HE WAS JUST GRUNTING, WAS GRUNTING AND MAKING LOTS OF MOTIONS AND MOVEMENTS WITH THE LARGE KNIVES. THERE WERE SOME PICTURES ON THE FLOOR. HIS CLOTHES WERE ON THE FLOOR. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE COUCH WHERE HE HAD STABBED THE COUCH. WHAT ARE NORTH BELLE VERNON POLICE TELLING YOU ABOUT THIS MAN? DO THEY THINK HE WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE WHEN THIS HAPPENED? THAT IS LIKELY THE CASE. KELLY. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE CHIEF FOR THE NORTH BELLE VERNON POLICE DEPARTMENT, HE TOLD ME THAT WHILE THEY COULDN’T PINPOINT EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF, HE DID SEEM LIKE HE WAS HALLUCINATING OR JUST SIMPLY OUT OF IT. AND ON TOP OF THAT, HIS CHARGES. A PART OF THAT IS PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS. SO IT IS SAFE TO ASSUME THAT HE WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SOMETHING. AND DESPITE THAT, AND HAVING THOSE KNIVES, NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR HURT IN THIS. AND THERE ARE A LOT MORE DETAILS TO COME IN THIS STORY, INCLUDING SOME VIEWER VIDEO THAT WE JUST OBTAINED. SO YOU’RE GOING TO SEE THAT AT 5:00 IN THE FULL REPORT COVER WESTMORELAND COUNTY IN NORTH BELLE VERNON. ED DIORIO, PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. THANK YOU. NOW LET’S TURN TO COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY, WHERE TWO PEOPLE ARE RESCUED FROM THEIR BURNING HOME IN MCKEESPORT. CREWS WERE CALLED JUST BEFORE FIVE THIS MORNING TO A HOME ALONG BANK STREET. IT WAS INITIALLY CALLED IN AS A KITCHEN FIRE, BUT THEN IT QUICKLY SPREAD. NEARLY 50 FIREFIGHTERS CALLED IN AND ALL. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS HURT. THE CASE IS NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION. A WASHINGTON COUNTY BUSINESS DEVASTATED BY A FIRE OVERNIGHT. ROSS FARM FIBERS POSTED THIS PICTURE ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT, SAYING ITS BARN IN BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. THE FARM’S RARE SHEEP WERE INSIDE THE BARN AND DID NOT SURVIVE. THE COMPANY ALSO SHARED THAT THEY’RE SHEARING EQUIPMENT IS ALSO GONE TONIGHT. NO WORD ON WHAT CAUSED THAT FIRE. WE ARE NOW MARKING THREE YEARS SINCE A TRAIN HAULING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS DERAILED IN THE TOWN OF EAST PALESTINE, OHIO, AND THE THREAT OF AN EXPLOSION THEN FORCED EVACUATIONS IN BOTH OHIO AND PENNSYLVANIA. WE’LL SHOW YOU HERE. THIS IS A MAP OF THAT EVACUATION ZONE. IT INCLUDED PARTS OF BEAVER AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES. WITH THAT, LET’S BRING IN ANCHOR SHANNON PERRINE. AND OF COURSE, WE ALL REMEMBER THE DERAILMENT AND THE VET AND BURN AS WELL THREE DAYS LATER. BUT SINCE THAT DAY, WAS CONGRESS DONE TO PREVENT SIMILAR DISASTERS FROM TAKING PLACE? IT REALLY WAS A DISASTER, ANDREW. AND I’LL TELL YOU, ONE LOCAL MEMBER OF CONGRESS ARGUES NOT MUCH. CHRIS DELUZIO IS A DEMOCRAT. HE ACTUALLY PARTNERED WITH THEN SENATOR JD VANCE FROM OHIO TO DRAFT A BILL DESIGNED TO MAKE AMERICAN RAIL TRAVEL SAFER. THEN PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN VOICED SUPPORT FOR THE BILL. SO DID PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. AND YET THE RAIL SAFETY BILL HAS NOT GOTTEN ANY TRACTION. DELUZIO HELD A NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY TO SAY HE HOPES AFTER THE THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISASTER, THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT. OUR CONSTITUENTS LIVED THROUGH IT. SEEING THE DERAILMENT, SEEING THE TOXIC FIREBALL, THE RUSH DECISION THAT WE HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT FORCED THAT VENT AND BURN, THAT TOXIC FIREBALL INTO THE SKY TO SEE FIRST RESPONDERS FROM BOTH OHIO AND PENNSYLVANIA RUSH IN TO HELP OTHERS TO KEEP US SAFE, AND THEN TO SEE OUR CONSTITUENTS, YEARS ON, STILL DEALING WITH THEIR VERY SERIOUS AND LEGITIMATE CONCERNS AROUND THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY. A BIPARTISAN GROUP WANTS TO SEE THIS. TWO CREW MEMBERS REQUIRED TO OPERATE A TRAIN. NUMBER TWO, AN EXPANSION OF THE TYPES OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SUBJECT TO ENHANCED SAFETY PROTECTIONS LIKE VINYL CHLORIDE. NUMBER THREE, THEY WANT TO SEE A REQUIREMENT THAT RAILROADS USE. QUOTE, DEFECT DETECTORS. THEY ALSO WANT TO SEE RAILROADS BARRED FROM SETTING UNSAFE TIME LIMITS ON RAIL, CAR, LOCOMOTIVE AND BRAKE INSPECTIONS. THEY DON’T WANT THOSE TO BE HURRIED, AND THEY ALSO WANT TO SEE INCREASED FINES FOR SAFETY VIOLATIONS. THEY CALL THE FINES FOR WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE NORFOLK SOUTHERN TRAIN A SLAP ON THE WRIST. NOW, COMING UP AT 5:00, YOU’RE GOING TO FIND OUT WHAT THE LABOR UNIONS CONNECTED TO THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE SAFETY BILL AND THE THREE YEARS THAT HAVE PASSED SINCE THE DERAILMENT IN EAST PALESTINE, OHIO. LOOK FORWARD TO THAT PART OF THE STORY AT 5:00, SHANNON. ALL RIGHT. WE’LL SEE YOU THEN. SHANNON, THANKS SO MUCH. I WANT TO TURN NOW TO THE BIG DAY IN HARRISBURG. IT WAS ONLY THREE MONTHS AGO. THE GOVERNOR, JOSH SHAPIRO, SIGNED OUR CURRENT STATE BUDGET INTO LAW. NOW HE IS INTRODUCING THE NEXT ONE, AND HE IS HOPING THIS ONE WILL NOT BE FOUGHT OVER PAST THE JUNE 30TH DEADLINE. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER KALEA GUNDERSON WATCHED THE ADDRESS TODAY. AND KAILEY, WE’LL DIG INTO SOME OF THE ISSUES IN JUST A MOMENT. BUT WHAT WAS THE GOVERNOR’S MAIN MESSAGE THIS AFTERNOON? WELL, ANDREW KELLY, THE MAIN MESSAGE WAS JUST INVESTING IN PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITIES. AND HE TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL WAYS IN WHICH HE WOULD DO THAT. JUST A FEW HOUSING, INFRASTRUCTURE, EDUCATION. GOVERNOR SHAPIRO SPOKE FOR A LITTLE MORE THAN AN HOUR TO THAT JOINT SESSION OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE TODAY, DETAILING PARTS OF THIS $53.2 BILLION GENERAL FUND SPENDING PLAN. HE TOUCHED ON INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION, ENERGY INNOVATION, RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE AND DEVELOPING A SAFETY NET FOR ANY FEDERAL FUNDS WITHHELD FROM THE STATE IN THE FUTURE. WE’RE HERE TODAY TALKING ABOUT ONE THIRD OF WHAT OUR STATE SPENDS OUR DISCRETIONARY BUDGET, BUT ANOTHER 40% COMES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WE NEED TO PREPARE OURSELVES SHOULD THEY CONTINUE TO WALK AWAY FROM THOSE COMMITMENTS. SHAPIRO ALSO INTRODUCING A $1 BILLION INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING FUND THAT HE SAYS WOULD BE DEVELOPED OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR YEARS. OF COURSE, THAT’S ALREADY GETTING PUSHBACK FROM REPUBLICANS. KELLY. ANDREW. WELL, KELLY, AS RESPONSES FROM REPUBLICANS AND CRITICS OF THIS BUDGET ARE COMING IN, WHAT IS THE COMMON THEME FROM THEM? WHAT WE’RE HEARING IS TOO MUCH SPENDING, NOT ENOUGH REVENUE TO MAKE UP FOR IT. YOU CAN HEAR FROM REPUBLICAN SENATOR KIM WARD COMING UP TONIGHT AT 5:00 COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY TONIGHT. KALEA GUNDERSON PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. OKAY. KELLY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR STAYING ON TOP OF THAT. ANOTHER BIG STORY TODAY. 79 DAYS TO GO UNTIL THE NFL DRAFT COMES HERE TO PITTSBURGH. AND UP UNTIL THIS POINT, ALL WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO DO REALLY IS JUST IMAGINE WHAT THE NORTH SHORE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. BUT THAT ENDS TODAY BECAUSE THE NFL REVEALED RENDERINGS OF THE DRAFT STAGE AND DETAILS ON THE LOCAL FOOTPRINT FOR THE NFL’S ANNUAL DRAFT EVENT. THE DRAFT STAGE WILL BE LOCATED, AS YOU CAN SEE, ALONGSIDE AVENUE, FACING PNC PARK AND STAGE. WHILE THE NFL DRAFT EXPERIENCE WILL BE ACROSS THE ALLEGHENY RIVER AT POINT STATE PARK. NOW BACK TO THIS DRAFT STAGE YOU’RE SEEING RIGHT HERE. VISIT PITTSBURGH CEO SAYS IT WILL HAVE A FAMILIAR LOOK FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE DRAFT. WHAT WE’VE SEEN IN THE DRAWINGS SO FAR IS THAT IT’S VERY SIMILAR TO THE SAME DRAFT STAGE THAT WE WOULD HAVE HAD IN DETROIT. IT’S A MUCH MORE ROUND EXTERIOR STRUCTURE, AND THEY DO THAT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY’RE MAXIMIZING THE CAPACITY INSIDE THE STAGE PAVILION ITSELF. AND HERE IN PITTSBURGH, THEY’VE GOT THE ABILITY TO STRETCH THE STAGE OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE OF THE SITE ITSELF. SO THE DESIGN THAT YOU’RE GOING TO SEE HERE IN PITTSBURGH IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONE THAT YOU’LL SEE OR WOULD HAVE SEEN IN DETROIT TWO YEARS AGO. BY THE WAY, YOU CAN SEE THE ENTIRE DRA
2 flown to hospital, multiple rescued after senior high-rise caught fire
Updated: 5:22 PM EST Feb 3, 2026
Two people were flown to Pittsburgh-area hospitals, and multiple others were rescued after a senior high-rise apartment caught fire in Washington County Monday night. VIDEO: Top stories on Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 on Feb. 3, 2026 County dispatchers first told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that crews were called to the Bentley Towers along Washington Street following reports of a fire on the seventh floor. Two people were flown to the hospital as a result of the fire. Their injuries were not immediately made clear. On Tuesday, the Bentleyville Fire-Rescue made a post on Facebook, saying crews encountered heavy smoke conditions on the floor. The fire was knocked down quickly and contained inside one of the apartment units.Officials said in addition to two people being flown to the hospital, multiple people were rescued from inside. A cause for the fire was not immediately made available. Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel
BENTLEYVILLE, Pa. —
Two people were flown to Pittsburgh-area hospitals, and multiple others were rescued after a senior high-rise apartment caught fire in Washington County Monday night.
VIDEO: Top stories on Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 on Feb. 3, 2026
County dispatchers first told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that crews were called to the Bentley Towers along Washington Street following reports of a fire on the seventh floor.
Two people were flown to the hospital as a result of the fire. Their injuries were not immediately made clear.
On Tuesday, the Bentleyville Fire-Rescue made a post on Facebook, saying crews encountered heavy smoke conditions on the floor. The fire was knocked down quickly and contained inside one of the apartment units.
Officials said in addition to two people being flown to the hospital, multiple people were rescued from inside.
A cause for the fire was not immediately made available.
Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel