1 dead, 4 injured in West Philadelphia rowhome fire
1 dead, 4 injured in Philadelphia rowhome fire
One person is dead and five others are hurt after a rowhome fire overnight Sunday in West Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA - One person is dead and four others are injured after a rowhome fire overnight in West Philadelphia.
What we know:
Firefighters were called to the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and North Front Street around midnight for reports of a fire.
The blaze quickly rose to two alarms, prompting about 100 firefighters to respond to the scene.
One resident who was on the third floor of the rowhome used his own ladder to escape the flames, according to firefighters.
The fire destroyed the rowhome, requiring crews to immediately begin demolishing the building. During demolition, officials say a body was found, FOX 29's Ellen Kolodziej reports.
Four people, including a fire service EMT, were hurt and a dozen residents have been displaced. All four victims were taken to local hospitals in stable condition.
What they're saying:
Zach Olsen, who witnessed the fire, described the scene as "scary" and applauded the firefighters' heroic work to knock down the fire.
"I've never had anything like that happen to me," Olsen said. "I come from a family of firefighters, I tried to get into fire school, it's just scary, I don't really know what goes through their mind while they're doing that."
What we don't know:
The cause of the fire has not been determined at this time.