So over the weekend on Saturday, around 6:30 in the morning, we were awakened by the sounds of loud sirens. I looked out front and saw several fire engines speeding into the apartment complex where we live. I went outside, saw a lot of smoke and then ran up to the other end of the property and saw this:
There were many fire engines, two of which had ladders extended and were spraying water over the building. Equipment from 11 different fire companies arrived (which I found out later, from the local newspaper). I counted about 12 fire engines, not counting other vehicles. A good number of the residents in this part of the complex were outside or watching from second floor patios.
A pair of firefighters unloaded a stretcher from an ambulance near me. At first I thought someone was hurt, but then I noticed the stretcher was piled high with bottled water. I just missed seeing the bulk of the flames by the time I arrived, but there was a little tongue of flame just visible on the far left peak of the roof.
The upper entrance, which is usually closed off to local traffic with a chain, was opened up to let more vehicles in.
I got talking to some guy who lives nearby this building and he said the flames were shooting up a dozen or so feet in the air. The fire was really roiling along for about 10-15 minutes before the first help arrived.
Check out the "Ash Kick'n Fire Chicken" that is stenciled on the top of this vehicle's windshield.
Lots of smoke. The firefighters were using chain saws to cut into the roof, ventilating the fire and allowing them to get water in there.
Yet another fire truck arrives.
I stayed about 45 minutes watching the action. When I finally went back home, I saw this truck blocking the road up the hill to where the fire was.
The next day. Earlier this afternoon, I went back to get a closer look. This is looking at the far end of the building. That's a gas meter between those two doors.
Back side of the building. There used to be a second-floor deck there above the first-floor corner apartment's patio. The upper and lower apartments were almost totally destroyed. However, the light-colored firewall (gypsum) was able to keep the fire from spreading to the other apartments next to these.
The only damage visible from the front was a small part of the roof, missing some of its siding. If people driving by didn't know there was a fire here and didn't smell the lingering odor, they might never know there was a fire unless they went around the side.
The local paper said there was at least $500,000 worth of damage to the apartments, not counting all the personal possessions that were lost. The woman who lived upstairs was traveling for two weeks in Greece. A 19 year-old friend of her son's was staying with her (after the son moved out...huh?). He had a friend of his own there staying over when the fire started
No one was hurt, but a few people lost everything. One of the tenants is missing a pair of cats that fled her place when everyone evacuated. 3 or 4 of the units suffered water and smoke damage. About 1/3 of the building itself was involved in some way.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
I'm about 28 miles northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
