Twenty five people are homeless following a fire Wednesday at a downtown Butler building.
It was just before 4 p.m. Wednesday when firefighters got a call that another historic building in downtown Butler was on fire.
Butler City Fire Department Captain Jim Kaufman said a crew rushed to the two-story brick building on East Jefferson Street.
“There was heavy black smoke coming out of the windows above the Chinese restaurant,” Kaufman said in an interview Thursday morning.
The Chinese restaurant is China Palace, which sits on the first floor. There are also 14 apartments in the building, spreading through the first and second floors.
Kauffman said one of the tenants first saw smoke and called 911. He didn’t know if there were working smoke detectors in each apartment.
“I know that’s been an on-going problem between the city and the landlord but I don’t know for sure,” he said.
Everyone was able to safely get out. The Red Cross said the agency was providing food, clothing and temporary lodging for the people affected.
The future of the historic building is unclear. A Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal investigated Wednesday night but has not yet determined a cause. The fire marshal was expected back on-scene today, along with the Butler City code enforcement officer to determine if the building should be torn down.
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- A fire on Jan. 10 heavily damaged a commercial building on West Jefferson Street.
