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Firefighter Injured in Three-Alarm Blaze in Roxborough

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - About 100 people were forced from their homes by a 3-alarm fire that swept through a Roxborough apartment house Saturday morning. A firefighter was also injured while responding to the blaze.

The firefighter was taken to Einstein Medical Center with a head injury after he was hit by a fire truck.

He's listed in critical but stable condition. His name is not being released at this time.

"He is talking," said fire commissioner Lloyd Ayres. "His wife is on her way to Einstein Hospital."

Ayres says it was a mad scramble to water down the fire which broke out at about 5:30am, on Domino Lane, "They had a three-story apartment house. This is the Abbey House. They had heavy fire on the second floor and they also had a person trapped at the second floor level."

Ayres says it took 11 minutes to rescue that victim. One person was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

In all, it took about an hour and a half to get the fire under control. Ayres credits the firefighters for quickly containing it and limiting the damage to one section of the U-shaped building.

Displaced residents were being provided shelter at a nearby elementary school and receiving assistance from the Red Cross.

Reported By Mike Dougherty, KYW Newsradio, Jericka Duncan, CBS 3

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