Fire Destroys Home In West Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A two-alarm fire gutted one home and damaged another overnight in West Philadelphia.

Flames broke out around 1:40 a.m. in the 6100 block of West Columbia Avenue in the city's Overbrook neighborhood.

Firefighters arrived to find the three-story home engulfed in flames.

Officials say the fire started in the back of the home and quickly spread from the basement to the top floor.

"I heard the glass break. They were hollering. The guy around the corner was hollering something is on fire, and he was trying to get me out of there," said the woman who lived inside the home. "But I didn't see it. I just heard the glass break, and there was a lot of smoke when I woke up."

It took crews about 45 minutes to get the fire under control.

The fire destroyed the home and also caused heavy damage to the top two floors of the house next door.

One firefighter suffered minor injuries and was taken to Presbyterian Hospital for treatment.

The American Red Cross was assisting at least seven people who were displaced by the blaze.

Two cats and two turtles were rescued from the burning home.

The cause of the fire was being investigated.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.