High-rise Building Near Temple University Evacuated Due To Fire
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A building had to be evacuated following a fire near Temple University's campus.
The fire broke out just before 9 p.m. on the 16th floor of a high-rise building at 11th and York.
Flames were visible from outside the building according to firefighters at the scene.
"All I heard was the alarm, and I peeked outside on the balcony up there, and I saw flames shooting out the window," says James McClean, a resident.
"It was pretty hectic," Robert Bonner, another resident, recalls. "I'm just hoping everything is alright."
The Red Cross responded to the scene and has set up a reception center at deBurgos Elementary School at 4th and Lehigh. As of 11 p.m., about 100 people were at that center.
Officials say the fire began as a mattress fire. Later, a pipe burst, which caused the power to go out and forced the evacuations.
