Multiple fire crews battled a three-alarm fire Tuesday at Country Pools & Spas in Harrison that left clouds of smoke covering large swaths of the sky.
The blaze, which was reported at 2:14 p.m., caused two explosions, likely because of propane, said Harrison Hills fire Chief James Bartolovich.
No one was in the building, he said.
Fire officials are evacuating the area within a half-mile radius because of chemical exposure, Bartolovich said, adding the main concerns are chlorine and forms of acid.
Elderly residents north of the area will be transported to Citizens Hose Fire Department because of the direction of the wind.
“The chemicals take the element to a different level because now you’re dealing with a hazardous materials incident and not a structure fire incident because some of the chemicals can be dangerous when wet, reacts differently and volatile with water,” Bartolovich said.
Fire at Country Pools in Harrison pic.twitter.com/4ip59nYkDj
— Louis B. Ruediger (@RuedigerLouis) November 22, 2022
Rick Lamison, who lives directly behind the property, said he wasn’t home at the time of the fire but could hear an explosion when talking to his wife on the phone.
“It’s getting better. I don’t think there’s much else for there to burn,” Lamison said.
The Allegheny County fire marshal and hazmat team are on the scene.
Logan Hullinger is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Logan at [email protected].