Fire Injures Forest Hills Man

An early morning fire Thursday left a Forest Hills man badly injured from smoke inhalation after a blaze broke out in his kitchen.

Forest Hills Volunteer Fire Department and the Allegheny County fire marshal responded to the call at 528 Ogden Ave. around 4:45 a.m., said Forest Hills Fire Chief Jim Theilacker. 

Neighbors said Julius Hopson was the name of the man injured. He lived in the third floor apartment of the two-unit complex. A garage was on the ground floor with a second floor apartment in between the two.

"He was unconscious when we pulled him out," Theilacker said.

Theilacker said Hopson did not suffer from any burn injuries.

The fire began and was contained in the kitchen of that third floor apartment. Flames and smoke had been cleared in the area by 5:45 a.m. Theilacker said they are investigating the exact cause of the fire, but that it had started near the stove.

"The hood on the stove completely collapsed before we got there," he said.

When fire crews arrived, Hopson was in the bedroom with his dog, unconscious.

"We believe he heard the fire alarm, went into the room to get his dog and then fell unconscious," Theilacker said.

Wilkins firefighters and local emergency service crews also responded to the scene.

Mariah Williams and Shania Jones have lived in the apartment below Hopson for the last year. When they heard the fire alarm, they escaped from the building.

"He may have been cooking or something and that's when the alarm went off," Jones said.

The chief spoke with them as they stood outside in their pajamas Thursday morning.

"They said the kitchen was pretty burnt," Williams said.

Ogden Avenue is a steep road that runs parallel with Ardmore Boulevard in Forest Hills. Crews were still on the scene to ventilate the building at 6:30 a.m.