Multi-alarm fire in Penn Twp.
PENN TWP — Several area fire departments were on the scene of a massive blaze in Penn Township Friday night.
Shortly before 9 p.m., 911 dispatchers started calling out crews for a fire at a commercial building located at 103 Hicks Road in Renfrew.
Crews from Butler, Penn, Connoquenessing and Middlesex townships were on scene, as well as crews from Herman, Saxonburg and Evans City.
As of press time, additional crews were still being called in to battle the fire. Earlier in the evening, the flames had not spread to other commercial buildings near the property, but the roof of the building collapsed.
Eyewitnesses at the scene told the Eagle the building was the site of an old glass factory that had been renovated into commercial rental space.
According to Eagle archives, the location was once home to the former Franklin Glass factory, which was vacant for almost 15 years before being redeveloped.
The large red brick building was also formerly a power plant for the Harmony Short Line, which ran from Zelienople to Butler. There is also a 104-foot iron bridge on the property.
According to the 2009 article, then-property owner Sumner McDanel operated a mail-order business from one of the 40,000-square-foot plant's buildings, and rented space to other tenants, including Summit Township artist Bill Secunda.
It was not confirmed if McDanel still owns the property. Tenants arrived at the scene Friday night.
