SADNESS. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US FOR THE NEWS THIS NOON, I’M LILY COLEMAN, PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER AVA RASH ON MOUNT WASHINGTON THIS AFTERNOON, WHERE CREWS ACTUALLY RETURNED TO THE SCENE FOR HOT SPOTS. FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE TO PUT OUT HOT SPOTS THIS MORNING. NOW, ALL THAT’S LEFT OF THIS CHURCH IS ITS SKELETON. RESIDENTS WE SPOKE WITH SAY THEY’RE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THE FIRE STARTED. IT’S BEEN LIKE AN EYESORE AND KIND OF A HAZARD FOR A WHILE. SO IT IS SUSPICIOUS. THE TIMING OF IT. A FOR SALE SIGN STILL SITS IN FRONT OF THE FORMER GRANDVIEW UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. THE NOW CHARRED BUILDING HAS BEEN VACANT SINCE 2022. IT’S BEEN IN A REALLY BAD STATE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. A LOT OF US RESIDENTS AND NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT THE HAZARD. JUST LAST MONTH, THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT POTENTIALLY REZONING A PORTION OF GRANDVIEW AVENUE AND TURNING THE SITE OF THE OLD CHURCH INTO A CONDOMINIUM BUILDING. ANOTHER MEETING WAS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK, BUT THAT’S NOW BEEN POSTPONED. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TALKS ABOUT WHAT’S GOING TO BE IN THAT SPOT, BUT FOR HOW MANY YEARS IT’S BEEN SITTING THERE, ABANDONED AND KIND OF FALLING APART. THE FOUNDATION’S BEEN BAD. FLAMES RIPPED THROUGH THE HISTORIC BUILDING LAST NIGHT. FIREFIGHTERS WERE ON THE SCENE FOR MORE THAN 12 HOURS. POLICE ALSO ACTIVE IN THE INVESTIGATION, ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS, A MAN WANTED OUT OF IDAHO WAS ARRESTED AT THE SCENE. POLICE SAY COLTON NORMAN RAN THROUGH THE HOSE LINES AND TOWARDS THE BUILDING WHILE IT WAS ON FIRE. HE ALLEGEDLY SAID HE WANTED TO LOOK AT THE FIRE AND THEN GAVE POLICE A FAKE NAME. COURT DOCUMENTS REVEAL THERE IS A WARRANT OUT FOR HIM IN BOISE, IDAHO FOR SIMILAR CHARGES. THE 23 YEAR OLD IS NOW FACING SEVERAL MISDEMEANORS, INCLUDING OBSTRUCTION. HE IS NOT ACCUSED OF ARSON. THE BUILDING HAS BEEN CONDEMNED AND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS STILL UNDER INVESTI
‘It is suspicious’: Residents react after fire destroys vacant Mount Washington church, investigation continues
A fire consumed the former Grandview United Presbyterian Church in Mt. Washington, leaving only its skeleton as police investigate the cause and arrest a man at the scene.
Updated: 1:06 PM EDT Jul 8, 2026
Flames ripped through the vacant former Grandview United Presbyterian Church in Mount Washington Tuesday, leaving the historic building reduced to its skeleton as firefighters were on scene for more than 12 hours. Neighbors expressed concerns about the fire and the state of the building prior to the incident. “It’s been, like, an eyesore and kind of a hazard for a while. So it is suspicious, the timing of it,” Lindsey Blobner, a Mount Washington resident, said. “It’s been in a really bad state for many, many years. A lot of us residents and neighbors have been worried about the hazard,” Tyler Westerman, another Mount Washington resident, said. A “For Sale” sign remains in front of the charred structure, which has been vacant since 2022. Just last month, discussions were held about potentially rezoning a portion of Grandview Avenue and converting the site into a condominium building. A meeting was scheduled for next week to discuss the project, but District 2 Councilwoman Kim Salinetro said that has been postponed. “There has been a lot of talks about what’s going to be in that spot, but for how many years it’s been sitting there abandoned and, kind of, falling apart. The foundation’s been bad,” Blobner said. Police are actively investigating the fire. According to court documents, police arrested 23-year-old Colton Normand at the scene. Normand, who is wanted in Boise, Idaho, for similar charges, allegedly ran through hose lines toward the burning building, claiming he wanted to look at the fire. He then provided police with a fake name. Normand is facing several misdemeanor charges, including obstruction, but he is not accused of arson. The building has been condemned, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
PITTSBURGH —
Flames ripped through the vacant former Grandview United Presbyterian Church in Mount Washington Tuesday, leaving the historic building reduced to its skeleton as firefighters were on scene for more than 12 hours.
Neighbors expressed concerns about the fire and the state of the building prior to the incident.
“It’s been, like, an eyesore and kind of a hazard for a while. So it is suspicious, the timing of it,” Lindsey Blobner, a Mount Washington resident, said.
“It’s been in a really bad state for many, many years. A lot of us residents and neighbors have been worried about the hazard,” Tyler Westerman, another Mount Washington resident, said.
A “For Sale” sign remains in front of the charred structure, which has been vacant since 2022. Just last month, discussions were held about potentially rezoning a portion of Grandview Avenue and converting the site into a condominium building. A meeting was scheduled for next week to discuss the project, but District 2 Councilwoman Kim Salinetro said that has been postponed.
“There has been a lot of talks about what’s going to be in that spot, but for how many years it’s been sitting there abandoned and, kind of, falling apart. The foundation’s been bad,” Blobner said.
Police are actively investigating the fire.
According to court documents, police arrested 23-year-old Colton Normand at the scene. Normand, who is wanted in Boise, Idaho, for similar charges, allegedly ran through hose lines toward the burning building, claiming he wanted to look at the fire. He then provided police with a fake name.
Normand is facing several misdemeanor charges, including obstruction, but he is not accused of arson.
The building has been condemned, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.