Over 2 dozen displace by early morning 2-alarm fire in Chinatown, officials say
Over 2 dozen displace by early morning 2-alarm fire in Chinatown, officials say
Captain Derek Bowmer told reporters that fire crews arrived within two minutes of the call and battled the inferno for four hours. The struck 2-alarms as flames busted through the roofs of impacted buildings along 10th and Race streets.
PHILADELPHIA - The Red Cross says more than 2 dozen people were displaced by an early morning fire that damaged several buildings in Philadelphia's Chinatown neighborhood.
Firefighters from the Philadelphia Fire Department were dispatched to the area of 10th and Race street before 2 a.m. for reports of a blaze. Firefighters had been working on dousing another fire in South Philadelphia when they were called to the Chinatown blaze.
Captain Derek Bowmer told reporters that fire crews arrived within two minutes of the call and battled the inferno for four hours. The struck 2-alarms as flames busted through the roofs of impacted buildings along 10th and Race streets.
Residents were evacuated from the building and no injuries of civilians were reported. One firefighter was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, but he is expected to be okay, according to authorities.
The fire stymied and subsequent clean-up caused the normally bustling city street to lockdown for part of the day. Business owner Clement Ho who owns City Chicken Rice told FOX 29 that his business was "severely impacted" by the fire.
"We have a big delivery business, lunchtime is fully packed, but there’s nothing. We are empty, no pick up, nothing." Ho said.
Fire investigators are working to determine what sparked the fire.