Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, May 8:
Lightning may have started Unity fire
Firefighters were on the scene at a house fire early Wednesday morning in Unity for about two and a half hours, according to Westmoreland County dispatchers.
According to TribLive news partner WTAE, firefighters said lightning may have been the cause of the fire, but the fire marshal will determine the official cause.
First responders were alerted to the fire a little before 3:30 a.m., on Lentz Road. The home is near the Glengarry Golf Links golf course, according to WTAE.
Firefighters left the scene just before 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.
No injuries were reported, Westmoreland County dispatchers said.
No injuries reported in North Braddock fire
No one was reported injured following a house fire Wednesday morning in North Braddock, according to TribLive news partner WTAE.
Firefighters were able to quickly put out the blaze, reported a little before 5:30 a.m. at a home on the 500 block of Seddon Avenue.
There was no initial word on the cause of the fire.
Overnight flooding in Carnegie
Heavy rains overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning caused flooding on a section of Washington Avenue in Carnegie.
Rain caused flooding on the roadway between Boden Avenue and the Aldi’s, according to a Facebook post from Glendale Hose Company #1.
The road had reopened as of 4:30 a.m.
Leaky cable in Strip District repaired, work continues
An underground cable that has been leaking dielectric fluid in Pittsburgh’s Strip District has been temporarily repaired, according to a statement from Duquesne Light Co.
Crews learned of the leak April 29 and began working to locate the source. A company statement indicated that no power has been lost because of the incident and no one has been hurt. The transmission cable spans from Brunot Island to the Strip District.
The current process of freezing the pipe on Liberty Avenue is expected to be complete over the next day, after which the company will begin making permanent repairs.
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About 47,000 gallons of the fluid escaped in total. The company said in a statement that the substance that leaked was a clear, mineral-like liquid with a glossy-like sheen that has a faint mineral oil smell. It is used to cool down and insulate underground cables. The non-flammable and non-combustible fluid is non-toxic to the public, but can impact aquatic life in large, concentrated quantities.
River boats will continue to patrol the Allegheny and Ohio rivers over the coming days for any traces of the fluid. Booms, temporary floating barriers that help contain leaks and spills, also remain on both rivers to collect any fluid that may be present.
The outbound lanes of Liberty Avenue in the Strip between 26th and 28th streets will remain closed as work progresses. A reopening date has not yet been determined, the company said. One of the two inbound lanes is still open to outbound traffic.
Julia Maruca is a TribLive reporter covering health and the Greensburg and Hempfield areas. She joined the Trib in 2022 after working at the Butler Eagle covering southwestern Butler County. She can be reached at jmaruca@triblive.com.