DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — About five families have been displaced after a fire tore through a row of homes in Chester on Christmas Eve.
Chester Fire Commissioner John Paul Shirley said fire crews were called to the 900 block of West Seventh Street around 5:30 p.m. He said the fire spread across the roofs of four homes before firefighters from multiple departments were able to contain the flames.
No one died, and no injuries have been reported.
“We can't, you know, replace a human life. So, you know, while it is unfortunate that it happened tonight, you know, thankfully, there's no loss of life or no injuries,” Shirley said.
According to our newsgathering partners at NBC10, the fire caused significant damage to the homes. The ceilings in two of the properties collapsed. Crews had the fire under control by midnight.
Robert Draine lives around the corner and said a former classmate had lived in one of the homes.
“I hate to see anything like this, really, really, really. It made me get up. I couldn't even sleep. I just had to get up and see.”
According to the Red Cross, 13 people were displaced.
What caused the fire is not yet known. An investigation is underway.