Fire damages City Mission
Washington firefighters Chuck Nourigat, left, and Patrick Bell look through what remains of City Mission kitchen on West Wheeling Street in Washington Tuesday morning after a fire gutted the kitchen shortly after midnight.
Residents of City Mission on West Wheeling Street in Washington sit outside in the picnic area Tuesday morning after a fire gutted the kitchen shortly after midnight.
The dining hall sustained heavy damage at City Mission on West Wheeling Street in Washington after a fire gutted the kitchen shortly after midnight Tuesday.
Workers set up cots in the former Anderson Glass building on West Strawberry Avenue, which is owned by City Mission, as temporary housing for mission residents.
The night houseman is being credited for safely evacuating more than 60 residents when a fire started in the kitchen of City Mission in Washington early Tuesday.
Dean Gartland, president and chief executive officer of the mission, said Keith Groves got 58 men living in the main building at 84 W. Wheeling St., as well as eight living in an adjacent building, out of the mission before Washington firefighters arrived. Groves thought he smelled something burning and checked equipment to make sure it was off, Gartland said. When he returned a few minutes later after making his rounds, Groves found the kitchen was on fire. He called 911 and got everyone out, Gartland said. The men living in the mission must be in bed by 10 p.m.
Washington fire Capt. Jerry Coleman said the initial fire call, at 12:01 a.m., came in as a fire alarm. Nothing was visible when the first truck pulled to the front of the building, which is a stone’s throw from the main city fire station, but firefighters could smell smoke. When they went to the back of the building, black smoke and flames were coming from the kitchen area.
A metal, roll-down gate was down across the entrance to the kitchen. While it prevented more flames from spreading to the dining area and the rest of the building, Coleman said firefighters had to cut through it to get to the fire.
The Rapid Intervention Team from North Strabane and Peters Township fire departments responded, as did firefighters from Canton Township, with North Franklin Township fire crews on standby at the city station. North Strabane also brought an aerial truck.
“Everyone worked well together,” Coleman said. “It took us a few hours at the scene. There are so many hidden spaces in the building.
“The mission does a good job for the community,” he added. “We’ve always been fearful of what would happen if there was a fire here. And no one was hurt.”
Fire crews were called out a second time when embers started smoldering about 6 a.m.
Gartland said Samaritan Care Center at the former Anderson Glass building on West Strawberry Avenue, which is owned by the mission, will be cleaned out. Cots provided by the Red Cross are being set up at Samaritan Care Center as temporary housing for the residents. Gartland said all of the equipment in the kitchen was destroyed. Three of the dormitory areas sustained water and smoke damage. He had no firm damage estimate but believes it will be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Donations were coming in throughout the day Tuesday, but there are still three immediate areas of need for the mission, said Dr. Sally Mounts, the mission’s director of development.
“We prepare 92,000 meals a year, 300 a day,” Mounts said. “We need to rent refrigeration and cooking trucks so we can continue to feed the homeless. Cash donations would be wonderful.”
Individual servings of nonperishable food also are needed.
“We’ve been getting prepared food donated, which is great for this week, but we need items for next week and the week after that. Donation of items like Pop-Tarts, cereal bars and fruit cups would be helpful. It also would be a big help if church groups would volunteer to prepare and deliver 100 meals. That would really be wonderful.
“The community response has been extraordinary,” Mounts added. “The generosity of the Washington community and surrounding areas has brought tears to our eyes.”
Mounts said the men should be able to return to their living quarters at the mission within a month.
A state police fire marshal was called in, but Coleman said the fire does not appear suspicious.
“This could have been a real tragedy, but not one person was injured, and for that I am grateful,” Gartland said. “The firefighters did a great job. They were here very fast.”
Donations to Washington City Mission can be made here. Donations also can be sent to the city mission at 382 W. Chestnut St., Washington, or made through the mission’s website at www.citymission.org.