Firefighter Injured After Battling 3-Alarm Blaze In Somerton That Was '4-Alarm Equivalent Fire Because Of The Heat'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A raging fire tore through three residential buildings on the 15000 block of Beverly Drive in Philadelphia's Somerton neighborhood on Thursday afternoon, injuring a firefighter who was battling the flames. The firefighter was taken to the hospital and placed in stable condition after being assisted by a medic on the scene.
For the rest of those fighting the fire, the heat was dangerous and the home's location made fighting it even more difficult.
"I said, 'Oh what is going on,' and this is not good," neighbor Joe Malin said.
It was almost 3:30 p.m. Thursday when Malin took notice of the sky.
"Black smoke began, then all of the sudden, I'm sitting in that chair and I'm watching flames that I can see higher over that building," Malin said.
Malin had been sitting outside his home on Beverly Drive and quickly saw it fill up with over 150 Philadelphia firefighters.
"We know that there's probably gonna be 20 or more folks that will be displaced by this fire," Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said.
Download The New And Improved CBS Philly App!
Just up the road on Beverly Drive, firefighters battled flames that had taken hold of three buildings, each containing four units.
Fire officials say wind and heat played a role in the fire's ability to bridge between the buildings. They're investigating if utility lines may have been a factor as well.
"They were able to stop this fire and essentially kept it from running through this entire row of buildings," Thiel said.
While the heat may have aided the three-alarm fire's intensity, it made conditions even worse for those fighting it.
"It's really a four-alarm equivalent fire because of the heat," Thiel said.
Because of an interior collapse, fire crews were forced to commit to an exterior attack.
Drinking water and cooling areas were a necessity.
"They're hot and they are tired, but we became firefighters and paramedics so that's what we signed up to do," Thiel said.
It's unclear what started the fire. It was placed under control at 5:45 p.m.
