3 people, 5 cats displaced by overnight fire

WILMINGTON, Del. (WTXF) - Firefighters were called to a major fire at the end of a series of rowhomes in Wilmington.

You can see smoke pouring out from the roof of the two-story building in the unit block of W. 39th Street. There were also flames coming out the back.

Crews report the fire destroyed the second floor deck area and went up into the attic, which contained "a large amount of storage" with combustible materials.

Three people and five cats survived. Three of those cats were actually rescued by firefighters.

License and Inspections condemned the home and the Delaware Red Cross relocated the people.

Another unit had some water and smoke damage, and a third unit had trapped smoke in the attic, which firefighters ventilated. The people in those homes were allowed to return.

It took about 29 fire and EMS personnel more than an hour -- from about 3:20am to 4:47am -- to get the fire under control.

The Wilmington Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the fire, including where it started.