fire

Fire Damages 9 Homes, Displaces 22 People in West Philly

The fire displaced 22 people and damaged nine homes.

NBCUniversal, Inc.

Multiple row homes caught fire in West Philadelphia late Saturday morning.

The blaze at a neighborhood of two-story row homes began shortly before noon near the intersection of 61st and Walnut Streets. The fire spread through nine homes.

Neighbors stood outside and looked on as firefighters doused the houses with water, sending thick smoke into the air. The blaze was placed under control around 12:30 p.m.

The fire displaced 22 people, including Tony Wilson and his sister Aisha Powell. Wilson told NBC10 he grabbed his 1-year-old nephew while Powell grabbed their dog.

"My immediate thought was to get the baby out because we had a child in the house and just get out as fast as we could. Don't try to grab nothing," Wilson said.

One resident suffered burns to his arm but refused treatment at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

"Just fortunate that all of our neighbors were able to get out and fortunate that we were able to get out in time," Powell said.

Some neighbors lost all their furniture, clothing and personal items in the fire. The Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents. Other residents are staying with family members.

Officials have not yet revealed a cause of the fire. They continue to investigate.

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