Arrest made in early morning fire that struck Homestead's main commercial district
January 24, 2015
On Friday, Mr. McDonald told federal agents he started the blaze in his apartment above Concept Uniform on East Eighth Avenue about 4:30 a.m.
Mr. McDonald, 27, has been charged with more than 10 counts of arson and risking a catastrophe, according to court records. He was arraigned Friday evening, and his bond was set at $100,000. He remained in jail, unable to post bond. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for Feb. 4.
Mr. McDonald told agents that early Friday or late Thursday he found a bag containing lighter fluid and paperwork in the alley beside his apartment in the 200 block of East Eighth Avenue.
He said he took the bag into his apartment and squirted the fluid on his couch. He said the next thing he remembered was a “lake of fire” in his apartment. He said he then left the building.
Mr. McDonald told agents that he is schizophrenic and had not taken his medication in a while.
During his interview he referred to the ignition of the fire as “what I’ve done.”
Mr. McDonald’s neighbors told police they were aware of his problems.
He was “worried about the end of the world and the Anti-Christ,” one witness said. Another said Mr. McDonald once said, “These voices are so loud I’m going to kill myself.”
On Wednesday, Mr. McDonald advised one witness to keep the witness’ door open so that he could check on the person. Another told police Mr. McDonald came at the witness with a tire iron after a disagreement about regulating heat and turning off electricity a few weeks ago.
The early-morning fire gutted three buildings and damaged two others, displaced nine people who lived in apartments above businesses and forced the borough to shut down part of busy East Eighth Avenue until one of the structures can be demolished.
Twenty-two fire companies responded to the blaze. Firefighters used a ladder truck to rescue a man and woman, both of whom were treated at UPMC Mercy for smoke inhalation.
The blaze is under investigation by the county fire marshal and agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who routinely work with the county on major fire investigations.
Alvin Henderson, chief of Allegheny County emergency services, said the 200 block of East Eighth Avenue will remain closed while firefighters and investigators comb through the debris.
Borough officials said the facade of the three-story Concept Uniform building was in danger of collapsing, so the road will be closed, possibly through the weekend, until it can be torn down.
Chief Henderson said police and agents were interviewing the tenants at a nearby church as well as the first responders to find out where the blaze began and how.
“It’s extreme damage,” Chief Henderson said. “There were five buildings affected. Probably three are total losses.”
One of them was a new business, EasyTaxRefund, owned by Brian VanDusen, a constable who said he had planned to have a grand opening today. He said he was working late on tax documents in another office when he saw footage of the fire on TV, and then the sign for his business.
Walt Viola of Wilkins, the owner of the building, stood nearby watching firefighters pour water on the smoldering debris. He said he bought the property two years ago for about $90,000 and had been rehabilitating it for the tax business.
“I put a lot of work into it,” he said.
His insurance will cover the loss. The damaged buildings will have to be torn down, he said, but razing them could also pave the way for more redevelopment in a town that has seen something of a resurgence in recent years.
Lloyd Cunningham, president of Homestead council, said the plan is to bulldoze the fronts of the buildings as soon as possible to keep debris out of the street.
He said the owners will have to decide what to do then, but “it’s an opportunity for someone” to redevelop that part of East Eighth Avenue.
“It’s a half-million dollars in real estate,” he said of the value of the properties destroyed. “At least a million in replacement value.”
That part of East Eighth Avenue has been a focus of recent revitalization, Mayor Betty Esper said, and losing so many buildings at once hurts that effort.
“These four buildings, that’s a killer,” she said.
She said she was still in bed when the fire chief called her about 5 a.m. to tell her about the fire. She was at the scene five minutes later.
"It's like losing a family member," she said.
The mayor knows some of the building owners by name, including Shirley Anderson, who bought the building that holds the Beauty Mark salon and six apartments in 1986.
“I don't even want to see her now,” Ms. Esper said. “I’ll probably cry with her.”
When Ms. Anderson arrived a short while later, after seeing the flames on local television reports, Ms. Esper hugged her.
Ms. Anderson said she has insurance that she expects will cover the damage, but the loss is still hard. She said she spent $245,000 to renovate the apartments above her salon. That included putting in safety measures that were meant to slow the spread of flames from one apartment to another.
Chief Henderson said state officials will provide assistance to the local businesses and community groups will provide aid to the displaced tenants who have nowhere to stay and lost everything.
One local resident, a jitney driver who would give her name only as Sharon, watched firefighters work from a nearby convenience store and said she knew most of the people who lived in the apartments. She saw the blaze when she was arriving to open her jitney stand early in the morning.
“It’s so sad to see that those people lost all their stuff,” she said. “My one friend told me the only thing she saved was the underwear she had on.”
David Lewis, who has led some local revitalization efforts in Homestead, called the fire a major loss for the community.
“The tragedy is that section of Eighth Avenue is all on the National Register of Historic Places. Now, suddenly, a fire swept down and knocked out four of the buildings.”