PITTSBURGH — First responders are conducting an emergency demolition after a building partially collapsed in Pittsburgh’s Bluff neighborhood on Wednesday. The incident occurred near the intersection of Marion Street and Fifth Avenue.
Sky 4, Pittsburgh’s only news helicopter, captured aerial footage of the collapsed structure. According to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesperson Emily Bourne, the building was known to be condemned but was frequently used by unhoused individuals seeking shelter.
“As a precaution, when fire and EMS crews arrived at the scene, they treated the situation as an occupied structure collapse,” Bourne said. “We had to ensure that no one was inside the building at the time of the collapse.”
A statement from Pittsburgh Public Safety later confirmed that a thorough technical search had been conducted, and it was determined that the building was unoccupied when it collapsed.