PITTSBURGH \u2014 Flames and thick smoke billowed from the roof of a home on Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh\u2019s Lawrenceville neighborhood Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Drone 11 captured the massive emergency response from above, showing heavy damage to the roof and siding.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was coming down Penn Avenue, and I saw the smoke and I saw some people coming down the steps,\u201d said neighbor Dave Septak.<\/p>\n
Firefighters were called to the four-alarm house fire around 1:45 p.m.<\/p>\n
Investigators say the flames involved two homes.<\/p>\n
One was a short-term rental that was unoccupied at the time.<\/p>\n
The other is home to a family of five adults and two children.<\/p>\n
Everyone escaped safely.<\/p>\n
One neighbor became emotional while speaking with Channel 11 News, saying longtime friends lost everything in the fire.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a sad situation for those people,\u201d the neighbor said. \u201cI\u2019ve known them for 25 years, and they came from a foreign country.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Red Cross is assisting displaced residents with temporary housing.<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh Public Safety officials say investigators are focusing on the rental property, where they believe the fire may have started.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other building where it\u2019s believed the fire probably started was unoccupied,\u201d Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesperson Cara Cruz said. \u201cFirefighters conducted a primary and secondary search, and there was no one inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bitter cold temperatures made conditions more difficult for first responders.<\/p>\n
Officials say the severity of the fire prompted an upgraded response to bring in additional firefighters.<\/p>\n
City crews also salted nearby streets after water used to battle the fire created icy conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely icy around here, so anyone in the area should pay attention to the streets,\u201d Cruz said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to be really icy because of all the water put on the fire.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.<\/p>\n
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