Verona Moose Lodge Demolished After Fire

Crews are in the process of demolishing the Verona Moose Lodge on East Railroad Avenue after most of it .

The fire began at around 4 a.m. Firefighters from the Verona Volunteer Fire Department, Oakmont Fire Department and Penn Hills Fire Department were on scene. They had cleared the scene by 1:30 p.m.

According to an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, one firefighter was transported to St. Margaret Memorial Hospital with a suspected separated shoulder. Joe McMeekin, assistant chief of Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Department Station 225, escaped injury when a wire fell as he was pouring water from a ladder truck.

The fire spread to an adjacent apartment building, but three families had been evacuated during the early-morning hours. The Salvation Army and American Red Cross now are assisting eight people with food, shelter and clothing.

Many in the community are calling the fire "devastating" and "heartbreaking," as it has been in Verona for at least 100 years.

The Loyal Order of Moose is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888, with nearly 1,800 Lodges, according to the Moose International website. The Verona location was the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 250.

Local roads in lower Verona have been reopening. Motorists should expect some minor closures as crews work on the building.