Apartment fire burned 100 people out of their homes

WEST PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - The American Red Cross is helping about 100 people in West Philadelphia. Several of them lost everything when a three-alarm fire broke out in their apartment complex.

Crews rushed to the scene just before 5am Sunday at the Netherland Apartments in the 4300 block of Chestnut Street.

It took about two hours to get the fire under control, and more than 100 firefighters were there, putting out the flames.

The complex is made up of six buildings, each four stories tall.

FOX 29's Dave Kinchen reports the fire started on a top floor. Then, part of the roof collapsed and there were wires everywhere.

The fire was especially hard to fight because the building is old but modified. There was also a lot of heat and smoke.

It's not clear when the displaced people will be allowed back in.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.