Major Fires and Incidents in the City of McKeesport

Oct. 4, 1877     Fifth & Walnut Streets Enterprize Foundry & Car Shop Southside of Fifth Ave. - all buildings burned out from Walnut to B. & O. Railroad, fire crossed street and burned buildings on opposite side of street - 32 buildings in all burned.

• Dec. 9, 1887      Jerome St. & City Flour Mill                                                           $ 60,000
• Feb. 8, 1896      Fifth & Strawberry St.- Altmeyer Theater (John Barto died in fire)      $125,000
• Sept. 21, 1904   Fifth & Walnut St. - Finley's Store                                                   $  23,000
• Nov. 23, 1914   300 blk. Fifth Ave.- J.D. O'Neil's Dept. Store                                    $125,000
• Jan. 24, 1917    5th and Sinclair St. - Normandie Bldg.                                             $ 50,000
• June 2, 1918     9th & Market St. - Ferguson's Shirt Waist Factory                              $ 40,000
• Dec. 24, 1919    Evans & 9th Street - St. Pius Church                                               $ 41,500
• Dec. 29, 1919    Centennial School                                                                         $ 60,000
• Feb. 8, 1920        Fifth & Strawberry St. - Crown Chocolate Co. and Famous Dept. Store                            $ 1,000,000
• July 5, 1923        Fifth & Center St. - Schmidt Hotel (8 killed, unk. number missing and injured)                     $ 50,000
• July 11, 1924      Walnut & Penny St. - 1st Methodist Church                                                                       $ 75,000
• Dec. 11, 1935     315 Fifth Ave. - G.C. Murphy Store                                                                                  $ 65,000
• Feb. 18, 1939     404-406 Fifth Ave. - Yester Bldg.                                                                                     $ 55,000
• July 10, 1943     315 Fifth Ave. - G.C. Murphy Store and Restaurant                                                             $150,000
• Feb. 10, 1945     Fifth & Walnut St. - Ruben Bldg.                                                                                       $500,000
• Jan. 21, 1954     551 Fifth Ave. - Monterey Inn & Ace Wall Paper Co.                                                           $150,000
• Feb. 12, 1955     306-310 Fifth Ave.- Sieberg's Clothing, Gil's Dress Shop, DeRoys Jewler's, Rubenstein Shoes                     $250,000
• Mar. 31, 1956     Connelly Bldg. - Sunnylane Market                                                                                   $125,000
• Jan. 7, 1972       McKeesport Hospital                                                                          $ 1,000,000
• May 21, 1976     Fifth Ave. & Market St. - Famous Department Store                               $ 4,000,000
• Spread south destorying Elks temple, Market St. School., and damage to Striffler's Funeral Home               across Sixth Street flames shot east across Market Street destroying buildings occupied by Kadar's                     Clothing Store, Book Store, Oddo's Hobby Shop, Farmer's Pride Chicken Store, Coney Grill Restaurant               and caused damage to McKeesport Cinema and McKeesport National Bank Branch. Flames also crossed              Fifth Ave. N.E. to the Kelly Building, damaging The Apple Shop, Feigs Bakery and Natale's Sporting Goods.
• May 8, 2006    Multiple suspicious fires in Lower 10th Ward dispatched in less than one hour.  One commercial and 2 residential buildings within a 2-3 block radius were set on fire during the overnight.
• July 11, 2008     Hi-view Gardens  520 Coursin St.  Early morning fire in which an estimated 30 trapped occupants were rescued (with no significant injuries) from the building due to the combined efforts of the on-duty crew plus McKeesport Police and EMS personnel on scene.