Nine firefighters were injured in a Wynnefield house fire
At least six residents are now displaced from their homes.
Nine firefighters were injured, including one who needed to be carried away on a stretcher, after the floor collapsed beneath them as they fought a two-alarm fire Monday night in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia.
Firefighters responded to the blaze on the 5300 block of Hazelhurst Street around 10:20 p.m. to find smoke and flames erupting from the roof of the home. Officials confirmed that five firefighters were treated at local hospitals and released, while four remained hospitalized as of Tuesday morning. All were in stable condition.
“We’re immeasurably grateful for this outcome, as collapses often prove devastating,” a Philadelphia Fire Department spokesperson said.
First responders arrived to heavy fire coming from the first floor of the two-story home, officials said. The situation soon grew, bringing more than 100 firefighters, emergency medical services, and support staff to the scene.
The fire spread to the adjoining properties and was placed under control just moments before the structure collapsed on firefighters. At least six residents were displaced from their homes, officials said.
Crews were still on site Tuesday morning working to clear debris and rubble, officials said. The fire marshal’s office will investigate.
Footage showed one of the firefighters being carried out of the building on a stretcher, and another being assisted down the front steps.
Two families, a total of nine residents, were receiving support services from the American Red Cross.
Before the Wynnefield fire erupted, earlier in the evening in Bristol Borough, a three-alarm fire activated multiple firefighting companies from across the region. One person was killed and another injured in a fire that engulfed several homes.
A man died in a North Philadelphia house fire last month, which followed a January house fire that took the life of a 60-year-old woman.
The Philadelphia Fire Department and the Red Cross urge city and collar county residents to visit soundthealarm.org/philly, where they can sign up for free smoke alarm installations and learn more about preventing fires.