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Fire Ravages Bridget Foy's Restaurant On South Street

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Three firefighters were hurt and two dogs died as a result of a two-alarm fire that ripped through an iconic Society Hill restaurant Bridget Foy's early Wednesday morning.

The fire started just after 1:15 a.m. in the restaurant's basement at 200 South Street and continued to burn for hours. Crews initially fought the fire from the inside but with fears of a collapse, firefighters were pulled out of the building.

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"We did make an aggressive interior attack, again that's what we do," said Commissioner Adam Thiel. "We pushed in, got deep inside the basement of this restaurant and then basically the incident commander made a very good decision to pull out and make this an exterior attack. The conditions were just too dangerous to stay inside."

Tearful moments for folks who have spent years celebrating, congregating, enjoying moments in their lives at Bridget Foy's restaurant.

Terry Graboyes knows the Foy family well and summed up this scene in the most heart-wrenching way.

"I feel the way I felt the day my mom died and the day my dad died. I can't remember ever feeling as heartbroken as I feel right now," she said.

"It actually feels like they're tearing down a good old friend right now," said Mingo Reyonlds. "So many life events here--surprise birthday parties, I just hosted a fundraiser here two weeks ago and it breaks my heart that these kind people have lost what they've lost."

Eleven people, four dogs and four cats are displaced from neighboring apartments. In addition to the two perished dogs from a neighboring grooming business Doggie Style Pets, one cat was rushed to the vet.

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Paramedics rushed the three injured firefighters to area hospitals in stable condition. The extent of their injuries is unknown.

The Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

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