FOLCROFT, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — More than a dozen people in Delaware County are homeless, after a three-alarm fire consumed several row homes on Sunday. Now a community is pulling together to help their neighbors who lost everything.
The fire started around 2 p.m. inside a home on Taylor Drive, near Heather Road, in Folcroft Borough. Neighbors said they heard at least four propane tanks explode, and then they saw huge flames. At least 125 firefighters worked the scene.
“We had a really lovely neighbor who made everybody aware that the fire was happening. She has two little babies so it’s heart breaking,” said Veronica Haas, who lives just a few doors down from where the fire hit.
The quick actions of that neighbor, who smelled the smoke and started banging on doors, helped everyone get out safely, officials said.
Folcroft Mayor Frannie DiCicco said she was heartbroken when she got to Taylor Drive on Sunday and saw the fire ripping through the homes.
“You can’t describe it, because it’s just devastating. Thank God nobody was hurt or killed — but it’s still a tragedy, because people lost everything they ever had.”
DiCicco says, in the midst of that terrifying fire, she saw a community pull together.
“To see how the neighbors came through, and how everybody was comforting everybody — you really had a sense of community, and you thought, ‘I love Folcroft.’”
As many as 10 homes were affected, and as many as seven were totally destroyed. Plywood now covers the windows of the now silent, empty shells. No one was injured, but Folcroft Fire Department Chief Angelo Zangare said the families lost all their belongings.
“It’s devastating,” said Zangare. “You got the holidays coming up, and all of these people were displaced. They have nothing to go back to.”
Although the fire upended so many of her neighbors’ lives, Haas says she’s still saying prayers of thanks that nobody was hurt.
“Everybody’s okay, and everybody can come back from all of this, and we’ll be stronger than we were before. We can always rebuild things.”
Folcroft Borough is collecting donations for the families. They can be dropped off at Old Borough Hall at 1555 Elwood Ave. Check the Folcroft Borough Facebook page for the latest details on what is needed most.
“They’re taking gift cards. They’re taking all sorts of money donations. They had a list of things that might be needed, such as diapers or food. Or some people are even donating furniture that they might have at another residence. So, anything you can offer is always helpful.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.