PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The fire marshal's office in Philadelphia is trying to get to the bottom of a late-night fire at a Germantown apartment building that left several people hurt and dozens displaced.
When fire broke out on the third floor of the Morris Manor Apartments at around 11:30 Monday night, there was a scramble to get out, Mark, a resident, told CBS 3 Eyewitness News.
"The alarms went off, and someone was running through the hallways knocking on doors telling everybody there's a lot of smoke, get out of the building," he said.
"It's really bad in there," he said at the time. "There are a lot of elderly people. People trying to escape the smoke and get out. It's a bad situation.""
Fire officials say at least three people were taken to the hospital. Officials ahve not yet released their conditions.
The Red Cross says it helped 35 people who were forced out of their homes. To stay warm, they were on SEPTA buses before going to a shelter set up at Central High, where they were connected with resources they need.
After the flames were out and smoke cleared, the remaining problem was ice. The water used to battle the fire froze on every surface it touched: sidewalks, trees, cars.
Venita Brown's car, parked in front of the burned apartment units, left encased in an icy shell.
"I wish I would have driven and parked my car somewhere else," she said.
Now, instead, she has to clean up and wait for her car to thaw out.
