4 firefighters injured after multi-alarm fire in Delaware
PIKE CREEK, Del. (CBS) -- Four New Castle County firefighters are recovering in the hospital after they suffered multiple injuries battling a townhome fire. The fire happened just before 12 p.m. off the 3200 block of Champions Drive in Pike Creek.
The four firefighters are expected to be OK.
Neighbors helped evacuate people from their homes and tell CBS Philadelphia that they have never seen a fire that intense before.
Cellphone shot by neighbor Norman Custis Sr. showed flames shooting out of a New Castle County townhome.
"It was so engulfed in flames," Custis said. "I never seen nothing like that up close"
Firefighters from all over New Castle County worked to prevent the fire from spreading to other townhomes on the block.
Gretchen Fitting was coming in from the gym when she saw more firefighters race to the scene.
"It was horrible," Fitting said. "The blackest smoke I have seen and the flames were just shooting up."
As crews were battling the fire, four firefighters suffered injuries.
It's unclear how the firefighters got injured, but they were taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from burns to smoke inhalation.
Senior Sgt. Abigail Haas says two of the firefighters are stable while a third is in serious but stable condition.
"I think it speaks volumes that there were no civilian injuries so that's great," Haas said. "Everybody got out and didn't try to go back into their home, which is a good thing."
It took firefighters about an hour to get the fire under control.
Neighbors praised the job they did.
"Accolades to them. I mean, this is what they do," Fitting said, "and they do a phenomenal job"
The fire marshal is still investigating the cause of the fire.
A section of Champions Drive remains shut down.