Philadelphia

Firefighters Battle Massive Warehouse Fire in Port Richmond

The 4-alarm fire started at a building on Sepviva and East Butler streets around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Firefighters continued to douse the charred building with water Monday morning.

Firefighters battled a massive warehouse fire in Philadelphia's Port Richmond section for hours Sunday night into Monday morning.

The four-alarm fire started at the warehouse that houses the Thrifty Irishman Thrift Shop and other businesses on Sepviva and East Butler streets around 7:30 p.m.

"It was starting off over there at the thrift shop," Isaiah Wyche, a witness, told NBC10. "It was small then it spread out over there."

Flames could be seen from miles away as firefighters battled the blaze. Police shut down surrounding streets and moved people from nearby restaurants. 

The fire was placed under control shortly before 10 p.m. Firefighters continued dousing the fire with water at daybreak Monday. As the smoke cleared, officials discovered the structure was gutted though most of the walls were still standing.

Impact Services, a non-profit that helps with local businesses, offered to help the owner of the Thrifty Irishman recover from the loss. Joseph Douglas, a member of the group, told NBC10 the owner is quick to give back to the neighborhood.

"Rob [the owner] is a good dude," Douglas said. "We've done coat drives with him where he was letting people from the community come in and pick from all the clothes."

No injuries were reported. Officials are investigating the cause.

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