Sunday, July 27, 2025, 2:31AM | 
MENU
Advertisement

Fire disrupts North Side rescue mission

Fire disrupts North Side rescue mission

A one-alarm fire at the Light of Life Mission on the North Side temporarily displaced about 25 homeless men and mission workers today.

The fire began in an unoccupied second-floor bedroom of the mission, which is at North Avenue near Federal Street. Mission officials say smoking is forbidden in the facility.

The mission's cook noticed smoke coming from a window around 10:45 a.m. He pulled the alarms, and the building was evacuated. Fire officials said there were no injuries.

Advertisement

Men in rehabilitation for drugs and alcohol live in the mission. They sleep on the second and third floors and take Bible and recovery classes during the day.

The mission also serves breakfast to about 80 people each morning. Mission officials said all of those individuals had left the building before the fire began.

Fire officials said the blaze was confined to the one bedroom, but that water had damaged the building's chapel.

After building inspectors walked through, mission officials were allowed to return. Six residents were directly affected by the fire and the men would double up in some bedrooms until fire damage was repaired. The chapel is off limits until it can be restored.

Advertisement

The mission has full insurance, said Beth Healey, a spokeswoman for Light of Life, but no damage estimates were available.

As firefighters battled the blaze, shelter residents fretted over their belongings, including one man who wanted to recover his $400 leather Steelers jacket. While they waited, they sang spirituals in the sunshine.

At noon, the displaced residents went to Light of Life offices on Western Avenue, about five blocks aways, to have lunch, Bible study and to get out of the cold.

The mission's first-floor emergency services, which house the overnight shelter and the breakfast program, were not expected to be disrupted.

First Published: February 21, 2007, 5:00 a.m.

RELATED
Comments Disabled For This Story
Partners
Advertisement
A huge Canadian flag carried by a crowd in Montreal in 1995, before a referendum on Quecec’s independence. Dennis Jett suggests Pennsylvania do the same in reverse.
1
opinion
Dennis Jett: Pennsylvania should become part of Canada
There is a large covered porch at the front of the house at 115 Forest Hills Road in Forest Hills.
2
life
Buying Here: Forest Hills home in its own 'mini-forest' listed for $425,000
Several houses are shown along N. Dallas Avenue near Penn Avenue in Point Breeze with “For Sale” signs in the front yard, Friday, March 21, 2025.
3
business
A cooling market and patient buyers are causing many Pittsburgh home sellers to cut their prices
New cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) gets into position prior to a play during practice on the first day of Steelers Training Camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe Thursday, July 24, 2025.
4
sports
Steelers training camp observations: Jalen Ramsey-led defense comes out 'aggressive and angry'
A woman charged under the name Shannon Nicole Womack is accused of using fake names, fake references and fake credentials at staffing agencies to secure nursing jobs across Pennsylvania and beyond. Pennsylvania State Police urged health care providers across the state to check their records and study the woman’s photo to help identify other facilities she might have duped.
5
news
Pittsburgh 'fake nurse' linked to 5 more Pennsylvania facilities
Advertisement
LATEST breaking
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story