Gilmore Auction Galleries destroyed by fire

By KRISTIE LINDEN
klinden@yourmvi.com
Just hours before its usual Thursday night auction began, Gilmore Auction Galleries in Rostraver Township went up in flames.
A thick, black plume of smoke could be seen for miles and for hours the homes on Martin Road near the auction house were immersed in heavy smoke.
Firefighters battled the flames and the heat, taking frequent breaks and sometimes laying down on the grass nearby.
Rostraver West Newton EMS was on hand and medics were handing out cold water to the firefighters.
According to Rostraver police Sgt. Ronald Naylor, a fire marshal was called to investigate the fire that started a little after 4 p.m.
Rostraver No. 1 (Webster) Fire Chief Richard Maglet said it was a tough fight because of the humidity and items inside of the building helped fuel the flames.
The Gilmore family, who said they were inside of the building when the fire sparked, grabbed a one-year-old family member and ran to safety.
A call was made to 911 shortly after 4 p.m.
Marie Younker, who has lived across the street on Martin Road for 12 years, said her son got off the school bus about 3:56 p.m. and everything was fine. They noticed smoke around 10 minutes later and “by 4:15 p.m. I knew they were done,” Younker said.
The auction house holds events every Thursday and Saturday and on a normal evening, Younker said, the parking lot would have started filling up around 6 p.m.
Younker said thinking about how full the parking lot could have been and how difficult it would have been for people to leave quickly made her realize it could have been much worse.
“I’m sick to my stomach,” Younker said.
Gilmore Galleries holds a Federal Firearms License and sometimes hold gun shows, Younker said. She heard one loud explosion and two smaller blasts but didn’t see any kind of projectiles coming from the flames.
Cindy Greene, who also lives right across the street from the auction house, said she was actually alerted to the fire from her aunt who lives in Donora.
Her aunt called because she saw smoke and wondered what was on fire, Greene said, but at the time they didn’t realize what was happening. Her son, Joshua Greene, said he was in his room when all of a sudden he saw the flames from his bedroom window not long after 4 p.m.
The Greenes said the building has been there for many years and was a gun club before it was an auction house.
Bruce Greene, who has lived on Martin Road all his life, said it was terrible to see the building go up, adding that the Gilmore family has been a good neighbor for many years.
According to www.gilmoregalleries.com, the business was established in 1917 in Sharpsburg. In the 1950s, the business moved to East McKeesport and in 1968 the gallery was moved to its present location.
The business is owned and operated by James Gilmore and his son, Jeffrey Gilmore, who is an apprentice auctioneer, according to the site.
The auction house offers everyday household goods, furniture, china, glassware and collectibles, appliances, electronics, art and tools, according to the website.