Ep 19: Clairton Works Explosion & The 1999 K-Mart Fire

Keith and Geno open with the recent explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Works that claimed two lives and injured several others. Guest Rob Lisiecki from Clairton Works Emergency Services shares what it was like on scene and explains how their emergency department operates inside one of the region’s largest industrial sites.Then the crew looks back at the 1999 K-Mart Fire in Pleasant Hills—a day none of them will forget. Chief Dan Haeck, Captain Scott Kunz, and Geno Esken were on the first-in engine, while Keith Hennon responded on the first truck. Together they walk through how the fire unfolded, the command decisions, and what they learned from one of the South Hills’ biggest commercial incidents.Real stories. Real firefighters. Real lessons.