Officials are investigating a fire that destroyed a home and damaged two others in Delaware County Monday afternoon.
The 2-alarm blaze began around 2:35 p.m. at a home on the 200 block of South Springfield Road in Clifton Heights.
"The fire was so intense," said Dave Jackson, one of the witnesses. "It was unbelievable."
The fire destroyed a home and damaged two others before firefighters brought it under control.
"The window blew open and all the flames started going up and started to spread," said Michael Madden, another witness.
Two people in one of the homes suffered minor injuries after they jumped out to escape the flames.
"There was a couple in the house on the second floor," said Clifton Heights Fire Chief Jim Kneass. "They could not get down the steps onto the first floor so they escaped onto a second floor porch roof in the back and then jumped from there."
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An Upper Darby firefighter also suffered minor injuries.
Joe Howdershell, the owner of one of the homes, told NBC10 he had left his house 40 minutes before the fire began to run an errand. When he returned, the house was up in flames.
"I would've been dead," Howdershell said while in tears. "The whole upstairs fell down into the fire. All my clothes are gone. All my paperwork. Everything."
Howdershell also told NBC10 the two people injured in the fire were his house guests and believes they started the blaze. Fire Marshals and police say its too early to tell and continue to investigate the cause.
The Red Cross is currently assisting the displaced residents.
