Plumes of dark gray smoke that could be seen from the Parkway East towered over Squirrel Hill Tuesday morning as firefighters battled a blaze at an apartment building on Forward Avenue.

No injuries were reported in the 30-unit building, Cara Cruz, a public safety spokeswoman, said.

The fire was reported at 8:25 am in the 5600 block of Forward Avenue, Cruz said.

“I think it’s safe to say this building is never going to be habitable again,” Cruz told TribLive.

She estimated around 30 residents could be displaced from the apartments. At least a portion of the roof has collapsed.

Public safety asked people to avoid the area.

“We’re going to be here for awhile,” said Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “This is not under control.”

As of 11:30 a.m., there were 73 firefighters from 17 different city companies at the scene along with EMS workers and two doctors.

Murray Avenue was closed between Forbes and Morrowfield avenues. Forward is closed between Murray and Beechwood Boulevard.

A crowd gathered at an auto body shop on Forward to watch the scene unfold with news crews.

Building resident Matthew Stock said he heard a smoke alarm going off around 8:30 a.m. He thought it was a minor fire and left his one-bedroom apartment on the first floor in bare feet and without his cellphone.

“The next thing I knew firefighters are running up the stairs,” said Stock, 35, who has lived there about five years.

Firefighters continued spraying water on the fire inside the three-story apartment building at 10:30 a.m. Flames remained visible an hour later.

The ramp from Forward Avenue to westbound Interstate 376 has been shut down, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.