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Updated 2 hours ago

A fire Friday at an apartment building next to Mama P's pizzeria in Delmont happened at the busiest time of the week for owner Roberto Provenzano.

But he still made and donated four pizzas to area firefighters who extinguished the flames a few feet away from his Greensburg Street business.

“We have to take care of our first responders,” Provenzano said.

Delmont Fire Chief Logan Clark said it appears the fire at the three-story apartment building off of Route 66 started in a ground-level apartment. The building houses about six units.

Ten people were displaced; no one was injured.

The fire was reported around 3:20 p.m.

Bricks outside the windows of the ground-floor unit were black from smoke. Provenzano said workers in the pizzeria smelled smoke but didn't realize the neighboring structure was on fire until fire trucks pulled up outside.

“It was just a little bit of flame with the black smoke,” he said.

The flames were extinguished quickly, Clark said.

Firefighters praised Provenzano's community support. He made eight pizzas for first responders who spent a Sunday night last month stopping a large fuel spill from reaching Beaver Run Reservoir, the major source of drinking water for Westmoreland County.

Firefighters appeared to be wrapping up their operation after about an hour. While they were there, Mama P's suspended deliveries and directed customers picking up dinner to use alleys to access the business.

Provenzano said he “appreciates first responders risking their lives to save all of us and keep us safe.”

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-837-5374 or rsignorini@tribweb.com.

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