Flames rip through duplex in Duquesne for third time, investigators consider incident suspicious

Flames ripped through a duplex in Duquesne on Sunday.

PHOTOS: Building heavily damaged by fire in Duquesne

Allegheny County dispatchers say police officers, firefighters and medics were called to Friendship Street and Pitts Avenue at 1 p.m.

Initial calls to firefighters reported thick black smoke was coming from the building.

The duplex has not had anyone living in it for over 5 years But, in the past month, it’s gone up in flames three separate times. Duquesne’s fire chief, Frank Cobb, says he believes the fires are being intentionally set.

“Whoever is doing this please just stop. We’re begging - just stop. You’re putting our lives in jeopardy. We all have families that we want to go home to and this is not cool,” said Cobb.

Firefighters went into the burning building only to be evacuated due to unsafe conditions.

Cobb added, “The floor was giving away. There were holes in the floors, it was compromised so it could’ve been a bad situation with guys falling through.”

Crews were ordered to evacuate for safety and then they were able to adapt and find another safer section where they could fight the fire.

The building sustained heavy damage inside. The walls were black and charred. There is a large hole in the building’s roof. Smoke was still coming off of it hours after firefighters arrived. Some of the siding of the building was also melted.

Diane Essiet lives across the street from the abandoned duplex and says she’s seen suspicious activity related to the fires.

Diane Essiet of Duquesne said, “They set it on fire a couple of days ago and they came out here and they was all laughing at it. Three little kids…they always come around setting fires. The oldest one is maybe about 10. Yeah, they was little young kids.”

She too is fed up and says whoever is responsible needs to be held accountable.

“They need to get them kids off the street. Lock ‘em up or do something with them. If they old enough to start a fire they old enough to do the time for it,” Cobb said.

Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or people who may have doorbell camera footage that could help investigators is asked to reach out to firefighters.

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