False fire alarm clogs Lothrop

A false fire call at UPMC blocked traffic on Lothrop Street for more than half an hour last… A false fire call at UPMC blocked traffic on Lothrop Street for more than half an hour last night.

Battalion Chief Gary Walz called last night’s action a “good intentions check,” because there was no fire. He said that “basically nothing” happened, despite a report that someone told police they saw a fire on top of a building near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Lothrop Street.

Walz said the “fire” a caller reported was likely steam releasing from the hospital’s incinerator. No alarms had been triggered at the Biomedical Science Tower or UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, where police and firefighters originally responded just before 7 p.m.

Firefighters opened up two fire hydrants on Lothrop Street while others searched for a fire.

Pitt police blocked traffic on Lothrop Street about 7 p.m. for more than half an hour while six engines from the city fire department checked the Biomedical Science Tower.

The mood at the scene remained largely relaxed, despite the presence of fire and police vehicles. Many people watched the firefighters work from the sidewalk across the street. A few observers smoked cigarettes.