My apartment building in Squirrel Hill (Pittsburgh, PA) burned down, and the media is being awfully vague about the cause of the fire

Wordpress ^ | September 18, 2025 | Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)

[grundle]

This was my home for 18 years when the fire started.

I’m disappointed that all the media is saying is that it was “an electrical fire that started in the basement.”

I want a lot more information.

What is the controlling factor for why the fire started now, and not 10 years ago?

How did it start?

Why didn’t the city inspectors, the insurance company, or the landlord prevent it from starting?

What could have been done to prevent this fire from starting, and why wasn’t it done?

Here’s a news article about this fire from the Pittsburgh affiliate of ABC News. It includes a link to page that lists different fundraisers for different people who lived in the building, including myself. Thanks to anyone and everyone who donates.

https://www.wtae.com/article/jefferson-apartment-fire-victims-pittsburgh-resources/66066553

[Governor Dinwiddie]

The fire marshal has to produce a report. Everything electrical would be subject to the NEC code. The major purpose of the code is fire prevention and safety. If the cause is electrical, the fire marshal has to disclose the exact failure which was the cause.

[Paladin2]

"What is the controlling factor for why the fire started now, and not 10 years ago?"

Squirrels....

[blackdog]

Arsonists are all over in Memphis. A downtown building showed the guy on camera with a gas can. (Cause still unknown)

"Backburning for Social Justice", is what the left calls Arson.

[Bullish]

Maybe squirrels?... Sorry.

[marktwain]

Very sad. Dan has been a good contributor.

[chopperk]

Bad drug deal reprisal

[stanne]

The media? Are they the local government?

Maybe Jimmy Kimmel will help

[aynrandfreak]

Are the couple in the video under suspicion at all?

[meatloaf]

Determining the cause of a fire is often impossible. A residence nearby had a fire start in the basement.

Neither the state (PA) nor an insurance investigator were able to determine the cause.

It was definitely not arson. The family got out and the house was refurbished.

[Windcatcher]

At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a couple of Antifa goons.

[JennysCool]

Any number of factors can cause an electrical fire. Damaged wiring, overloaded circuits, carelessness with appliances. If it started in a basement, it could be a water leaking or flooding issue. I’m sure the insurance company will pinpoint the cause.

[Paladin2]

Even corrosion on connections in The Box.

[cnsmom]

The mentally ill left loves fire no motive necessary

[Carriage Hill]

Pennsylvania Ping!

Please ping me with articles of interest.

FReepmail me to be added to the list...

[Temporarily filling-in for lightman]

[Jonty30]

Could the land have increased in value to the point that it becomes worth it to take an insurance hit and build something else?

That’s always my first question in these things.

[FrankRizzo890]

I used to live in Madison AL in an apartment complex. One day I came home and HALF the Madison PD had surrounded this one building. I stopped and chatted with the group of neighbors standing nearby and they told me that the PD was there because a guy in the apartment was running a business from his APT. I asked what KIND of business, and they told me he was in the “manufacturing” business. Then I asked “OK, so was this a meth lab?” And they all nodded.

Ironically this was across the street from the empty apartment building sized concrete pad. The office told me that a guy in THAT building had been using his BBQ grill on the 2nd floor patio and ended up setting the whole building on fire and the FD was unable to put it out.

That was QUITE a place.

[grundle]

Thanks.

[grundle]

Thank you.

[grundle]

No. Lots of people were watching. Many of them lived there.