Steelers Now
A 2-alarm fire broke out just before 9:30 Tuesday morning at the Best of the Batch Foundation, a nonprofit founded by former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch.
The fire chief told WPXI that the flames damaged the back of the building, possibly by a grill. A photo posted by Munhall Volunteer Fire Company #4 shows black smoke damage and melted blue siding in one corner of the building.
Best of the Batch released a statement on Tuesday afternoon, stating “there were no campers inside at the time of the incident and all individuals are safe.”
“The well-being of our children, staff, volunteers, and families remain our highest priority. The foundation is working diligently with local fire, fire marshals, and other personnel to ensure the building is in a safe condition to resume camp,” the statement read.
“Team Batch would like to thank first responders for the quick response and for supporting our community.”
According to its website, Best of the Batch offers programs for school-aged children and serves more than 4,000 children and their families annually in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Officials told WTAE one firefighter was taken to the hospital after sustaining a knee injury while battling flames, and the crew called a second alarm in part due to the extreme heat.
“Trying to make sure we had enough people and getting them all hydrated, keeping them hydrated, because that’s going to be, you know, the main thing over the next week especially, you know, this kind of stuff,” said Matt Pisarcik, second assistant fire chief. “You can see people are sweating like crazy.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Fire Breaks Out at Former Steelers QB Charlie Batch’s Foundation
