A teenager is recovering after he jumped 20-feet to escape a massive fire that spread to six homes.
The 2-alarm blaze broke out Saturday afternoon on 216 Minor Street in Norristown.
"When I pulled up, I saw smoke from the third floor, front and back windows," said Lindsay Jones, who witnessed the fire.
Officials say a 17-year-old boy jumped from his bedroom window, more than 20-feet off the ground, to escape the flames. Jones found the teenager on the ground, unable to move.
"I just took my coat off and I laid it on top of him," Jones said.
Other neighbors stepped in to help the trapped residents get out of their homes. Responding firefighters hampered by freezing temperatures, icy streets and snow struggled to place the blaze under control.
"Crews were operating in slick conditions and icy conditions," said Norristown Fire Chief Tim O'Donnell. "Navigating streets that are partially plowed."
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By the time firefighters controlled the fire, 18 people had been displaced. The teenager was taken to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The Red Cross is currently assisting five of the seven families affected by the fire. Officials have not yet revealed the cause of the fire.
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