The fire at Midtown Towers on Liberty Avenue was reported shortly before 3:30 a.m. and quickly grew to seven alarms.

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WEBVTT NEWSCONFERENCE MOMENTS AGO.ANDREW: THE THE FIREFIGHT COULDHAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE.REPORTER: IT WAS A NASTY FIRETHAT STARTED ON THE 6th FLOOROF THIS HIGHRISE BEHIND ME.IT STARTED ON THE 6th FLOORBUT FLAMES QUICKLY SHOT UP TOTHE THE 7th AND 8th FLOORSCHASING RESIDENTS WAY.A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CHARREDUNIT ON THE RIGHT THAT'S WHEREIT ALL STARTED.THE FLOORS BELOW WERE ALLDAMAGED BY WATER.IT STARTED OUT AS A THREE-ALARMFIRE BUT THE 17 STORY BUILDINGPRESENTED UNIQUE CHALLENGES SOTHE CALL WAS IMMEDIATELY RAISEDTO A SEVEN ALARM .EVEN IF ALL THE MANPOWER TOFIGHT THE BLAZE IT WASN'T ENOUGHTO SAVE 75-YEAR-LD MARYROBINSON WHO DIED IN THE FIRETHAT STARTED IN HER APARTMENTACCORDING TO THE BUILDINGMANAGER.THEY SAY THE HIGHRISE FIRE WASINTENSE AND THREATENED THE LIVESOF RESIDENTS AND FIREFIGHTERS.>> THERE WAS A LOT OF HEROS THISMORNING THAT I'M POSITIVEWITHOUT THEIR EDUCATION, THEIRTRAINING, THEIR PROFESSIONALISMWE WOULD BE TALKING MANY MOREINJURIES AND MANY MOREFATALITIES.ON TWO SEPARATE OFFICIALSFIREFIGHTERS RAN INTO PROBLEMSAND HAD TO REQUEST A MAY DAY,AND A MAY DAY IS A CALL FOR HELPWHEN A FIREFIGHTER IS TRAPPEDERROR ENDANGERED.WE HAVE SPECIALIZED TEAMS CALLEDGOLD TEAMS THAT ARE ON STANDBYFOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OFASSISTING TRAPPED FIREFIGHTERS.REPORTER: AT THIS TIME THE FIREDEPARTMENT HAS NOT DETERMINEDTHE CAUSE OF THE BLAZE.AT THE SAME TIME THE BUILDINGMANAGER TELLS US THAT THEELDERLY REST RESIDENT THAT DIEDIN THE FIRE WAS A SIGNIFICANCEVET SMOKER AND IT STARTED IN HERAPARTMENT.THE OFFICIAL CAUSE HAS NOT BEENDETERMINED.MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED PEOPLEHAVE BEEN DISPLACED BECAUSE OFTHE FIRE.AT LEAST 55 OF THEM ARE STAYINGAT THE DAVID L. LAWRENCECONVENTION CENTER OVERNIGHT

Advertisement Woman dies in fire at downtown Pittsburgh high-rise The fire at Midtown Towers on Liberty Avenue was reported shortly before 3:30 a.m. and quickly grew to seven alarms. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A fire early Monday morning claimed the life of a 75-year-old woman at an older downtown high-rise that does not have a sprinkler system.Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones said there were two instances where firefighters inside the Midtown Towers had to call for help. "This is the first time I can recall that we had a mayday inside of a high-rise," he said. The fire on Liberty Avenue was first reported shortly before 3:30 a.m. and quickly grew to seven alarms. VIDEO: News conference with Pittsburgh fire chief and public safety director "We walked out to the alley, and I looked in both alleys and seen something was on fire," witness Ricca J.L. Martello said. "I seen the guy outside the building who lives in the building and had him let us in while I was on the phone with 911, and we ran from the first floor to the sixth floor banging on the doors to get people out." The medical examiner identified the victim as Mary Robinson, 75, and said she died of thermal and inhalation injuries. The manner of death is pending investigation. Jones said Robinson was in a sixth-floor apartment where the fire started. There were other injuries, including a firefighter who was taken to the hospital with shortness of breath. The building is older and wasn't equipped with sprinklers, though fire alarms were installed and were working properly, Jones said. Public Safety Director Wendell Hissirch said there were "a lot of heroes this morning," giving credit to first responders for their efforts. "Without their education and training, we would be talking many more injuries and fatalities," Hissrich said. City arson and homicide investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.