.Officer Injured
In Hotel Fire Hailed A Hero
WASHINGTON, PA A Washington police officer,
who was seriously injured while trying to help residents
escape a hotel fire over the weekend, is being hailed
a hero today.
Flames and thick smoke quickly spread through the
George Washington Hotel in downtown Washington around
1pm Sunday.
Firefighters had a difficult time getting the fire
under control.
"When I left my house and saw the smoke which
was probably a ½ mile away, I knew we were
in trouble," Washington City Fire Chief Linn
Brookman told KDKA. "The heat was so intense…heavy
smoke throughout the building, numerous people trapped
– we just had to fight it floor by floor."
Officer Ron McIntyre went inside the building to
make sure the residents got out safely, when he became
trapped by the heavy smoke.
McIntyre apparently tried to lower himself out a
window using a fire hose when he apparently lost his
grip and fell several stories.
McIntyre was taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital;
but all the tenants got out safely and the building
was spared.
Amazingly, the hotels' restaurant was back open for
business this afternoon. "We had a disaster restoration
company getting the smoke out," the building's
owner Kyrk Pyros told KDKA. "We're back up and
running."
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Officer
McIntyre," Pyros adds. "We're really worried
about him and his family."
The cause of the fire is still under investigation
Washington, Pa., hotel fire probed
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The state police fire marshal is investigating a
weekend fire at the historic George Washington Hotel
in Washington, Pa.
The fire began just after 1 p.m. in the 10-story
building, which is now used as apartments, offices
and an assisted living facility.
A Washington police officer, Ron McIntyre, was seriously
injured when he fell from a seventh-floor window during
the blaze. He was trying to lower himself with a fire
hose from the window when he lost his grip and fell
to a roof overhanging the fourth floor of the building.
Officer McIntyre was taken to UPMC Presbyterian.
Officials there would not release any new information
on his condition yesterday. It was listed as serious
on Sunday.
Washington Fire Chief Linn Brookman said that work
to restore the hotel has already begun. He estimated
the damage at $1 million. It includes heavy fire damage
to he second, third and fourth floors and smoke damage
on floors five through 10.
The hotel opened in 1923 and has about 50 tenants
and 37 assisted living residents. The residents have
all been temporarily moved to other nursing homes,
hotels or taken in by relatives, Chief Brookman said
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