https://archive.triblive.com/local/westmoreland/cause-unknown-for-fire-at-abandoned-jeannette-brewery/
Cause unknown for fire at abandoned Jeannette brewery
Dan Speicher | Tribune-Review
A late night fire collapsed the roof at a single story section of the former Penn Brewery, along the 1100 block in Jeannette , on Tuesday, July 25, 2017.
The cause of a fire at an abandoned brewery in Jeannette this summer has been ruled undetermined.
The amount of damage made it difficult for a state police fire marshal to figure out the cause, Jeannette Fire Chief Vance Phillips said. Officials believe it was suspicious.
“The fire was so hot, it literally twisted steel beams,” he said.
Fire and police officials continue to investigate the July 24 fire in a building that once housed the Fort Pitt Brewery on Penn Avenue. The fire caused the building to partially collapse, and a nearby water main break flooded several homes in West Jeannette.
The collapse was beneficial to firefighters at the time of the blaze but complicated the investigation, Phillips said. Firefighters used four ladder trucks to extinguish the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to tall buildings closer to neighboring homes.
“We lose the framework of that structure, it really disturbs the scene,” he said.
The buildings were used for storage by late businessman Frank Trigona, who owned the 4.6-acre parcel under his Rufus Corp. The hottest part of the fire was a melted ball of computer parts. There are no utilities to the building.
City manager Michael Nestico said the health board in July authorized an inspection of the premises.
Officials are awaiting the results of the inspection, which will cost between $5,000 and $10,000. He previously said that if the property needs to be demolished, the city will have to pay to do so.
Council authorized setting aside $500,000 for such projects from the city's reserve account, created with $4 million in proceeds from the February 2015 sale of the city's sewer system to the county municipal authority.
Trigona died in August 2015 and left 20 vacant properties in Jeannette, including the former brewery, which is the largest parcel.
Phillips compared it to a similar fire and collapse at an abandoned three-story property owned by Trigona on Clay Avenue in April 2016. The cause of that fire was ruled undetermined because of the amount of damage. City taxpayers are footing the bill for that cleanup.
Anyone with information about the July 24 fire is asked to call city police or the fire department.
Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-837-5374, rsignorini@tribweb.com or via Twitter @byrenatta.
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