Looters targeting burned out Gilmore Auction Galleries

Jenn Codeluppi / Mon Valley Independent
This is all that’s left of Gilmore Auction Galleries in Rostraver Township following a massive blaze Aug. 30. The owners are now dealing with looters coming onto the property to scavenge through the rubble. The family plans to rebuild.

By Kaylie Moore
kmoore@yourmvi.com
One week after her family’s Rostraver Township business was destroyed by a fire, Lee Gilmore is dealing with a new problem – looters.
Hours before its usual Thursday night auction Aug. 30, Gilmore Auction Galleries went up in flames, causing a thick column of smoke that could be seen for miles.
A fire marshal was called to the scene to investigate the fire’s cause, which is still unknown.
Owned and operated by James and Lee Gilmore and their son, Jeffrey Gilmore, who is an apprentice auctioneer, the Martin Road auction house caught fire around 4 p.m. with the family inside.
Though the Gilmores made it out safely, their woes had just begun, Lee Gilmore explained.
“By Saturday, we already had people trespassing on the property, people climbing all over the debris,” she said. “The investigators hadn’t even come yet and there were people coming by in trucks looking for scrap metal and coins.”
Investigators have not yet given the Gilmore family permission to enter the hazardous area, as their insurance company has not finalized its report.
While she does not think anything was successfully stolen, Gilmore said, the dangerous environment has not been a deterrent for those determined to try.
“We’ve had a lot of people stop to look when they’re driving by and take pictures, which is fine, but it’s the people climbing on stuff,” she said. “There’s a lot of nails and a lot of metal sticking out and I’m more afraid that they’re going to get hurt than anything.”
Gilmore said two men brought their teenage daughters, who were wearing open-toed sandals, to the site. They could be heard asking, “Daddy, can I have that?” as their fathers searched through the rubble.
Another pair of potential looters showed up while officials were conducting their investigation and left quickly when confronted, Gilmore added.
“Why would you do that?” Gilmore asked. “People don’t have any brains anymore.”
Gilmore said this week’s extreme temperatures reignited “hot spots” within the charred auction house, which the family extinguished several times. She said her husband is also maintaining the grass at the property, because of the heat risks.
“Everything is still warm down there, so I don’t understand the allure,” she said.
A basement entrance was barricaded, due to the risk of floor collapse. “No trespassing” signs, ropes and caution tape lines have also been installed on the property, which is under 24-hour video surveillance.
Additionally, township police regularly patrol the property to “make their presence known.”
Still, the Gilmores wake up regularly throughout each night to make sure no one is trespassing on the property.
“Why would people do that to somebody that just had this huge tragedy?” Gilmore said. “They want to do a treasure hunt, but I don’t know what they would even want. It all looks like charcoal to me.”
The auction house celebrated 101 years in business this year, but the family had never experienced a fire there or in any other capacity, Gilmore added.
“We didn’t know how wacky people can be so it’s more frustrating than anything, another layer we now have to deal with,” she said. “We don’t want them on the property; we don’t need the extra harassment and it’s too dangerous, so please don’t do it.”
Through it all, the auction house is still in business. Gilmore said they are still taking appointments and plan to rebuild once the hard part is over.
Despite the “treasure hunters,” Gilmore said many friends, family and neighbors have been extremely supportive, bringing the family food and keeping them busy.
“People have been so wonderful with their goodwill and that’s been great for us, but then you have to have strangers ruin it,” she said. “Every day is a new adventure here.”