BRISTOL, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A three-alarm fire broke out Wednesday morning at an apartment complex in Bristol Township, Bucks County, injuring three firefighters and a resident.
The fire started around 5:30 a.m. in a unit at the Levittown Trace Apartments off of Ford Road, near I-95. It spread flames to the second and third floors and up to the attic. The roof was ravaged by the flames. Part of it collapsed, leaving behind a lot of smoke and fire damage.
The fire has since been placed under control.
Twelve units were damaged and about 30 residents were displaced. Smoke alarms were working at the time, which helped get residents out quickly, fire officials said.
However, one resident was injured after jumping out of a second-floor window. He said he initially tried to flee through the hallway but there was too much smoke.
“See that window right there? That’s where I jumped through. See my hand? Thank God I have my life,” he said. “Believe me. It was terrible.”
Officers on scene helped brace his fall and he only injured his arm. He was treated and released from the hospital.
With tears in his eyes, he said he was grateful to be alive, but also heartbroken.
“Twenty-two years I’ve been in that apartment and everything is gone,” he said.
Three firefighters were also injured. One suffered smoke inhalation, and another broke his arm when a part of the roof collapsed. A third firefighter hurt his ankle.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.