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3 Injured After Fire Breaks Out At Luxury High-Rise In Rittenhouse Square

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Hundreds were displaced from their homes for several hours overnight after a fire broke out at a luxury, high-rise condo building on Rittenhouse Square.

The fire broke out in a unit on the 29th floor of The Dorchester at 226 W. Rittenhouse Square, just before 2 a.m. Tuesday.

"There were these blood-curdling screams. Some woman was screaming," said resident Cindy Baum-Baker.

People quickly evacuated after fire alarms sounded.

"You could see flames flickering out high up there and just these screams, so whoever it was, I imagine was stuck up there," Baum-Baker said.

Paramedics transported three people to area hospitals for smoke inhalation. It took crews about an hour to get the fire under control due to the height of the building, which has 32 floors.

The nearby Rittenhouse Hotel opened its doors to the displaced, but some chose to stay outside waiting for word about when they could return to their condos. They got the all-clear around 5 a.m.

"I went to college in upstate New York, so I'm used to the cold," said Carter Brown, who was sleeping when the fire broke out. "This isn't too bad for me right now."

A firefighter was taken away on a stretcher, but appeared to be OK.

The city's fire marshal's office is investigating the cause of the fire.

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