PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A fire ripped through a building near West Philadelphia High School Saturday morning.
Fire crews responded to the four-alarm fire at a vacant building on 48th and Locust streets around 5 a.m. More than 150 firefighters and paramedics were at the scene. Heavy plumes of smoke were seen billowing around the building.
Ladders sprayed the building from all angles for nearly three hours before they got it under control. Officials say crews will remain on scene to extinguish any hot spots.
Deputy Commissioner for Logistics with the Philadelphia Fire Department, Carl Randolph, said the vacancy made their jobs easier because they did not have to evacuate anyone.
“It puts us in a really good position because we’re not worried about life safety. We understood very quickly that we would not be able to get inside because the fire had made great advancements,” Randolph said.
No injuries were reported. A cause is not yet known. An investigation is underway.