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Social Media And Kind Neighbors Play Role In Aftermath Of West Philly Fire

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – When there's a big fire, not all heroes arrive in fire trucks; so too in the aftermath of the five-alarm blaze that wrecked a west Philadelphia apartment house this week.

Even as the fire in the Windermere apartments at 48th and Walnut was burning, the folks at Alain Locke Elementary School immediately opened the doors.

"I want to thank Principal Lola-Marie Davis-O'Rourke for her invaluable assistance and I want to thank her and all of her staff. They were tremendously helpful," said Mayor Nutter.

The school served both as a shelter for a couple of nights and a staging area for the Red Cross to provide relief. Nutter told of Tweeting from the fire scene:

"Shortly afterwards, a woman named Jazmine Williams, who works at Coldwell-Banker, sent a tweet back, offering her assistance and support. She has now helped place families in properties that were made available."

Reported By John Ostapkovich, KYW Newsradio.

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