Fire chases residents from home in East Lansdowne
EAST LANSDOWNE » No one was injured after a fire broke out on one side of a Melrose Avenue duplex Wednesday afternoon, but four people from both sides of the now uninhabitable building were being assisted by the American Red Cross, authorities said Wednesday night.
About 50 firefighters from nine departments, under the command of East Lansdowne Assistant Fire Chief Steve Castellano, battled the two-alarm blaze, which was reported at 12:09 p.m. and brought under control at 1:02 p.m., East Lansdowne Fire Department President Jim Carr Jr. said.
According to Carr, heavy fire was showing from the third floor of the residence when crews arrived on the scene, in the unit block of Melrose Avenue. As firefighters were entering, two occupants of the building were exiting, he said. It’s unclear where those individuals resided.
Initially firefighters were unsure if the home was safely evacuated so they searched for residents in the smoke. The residents were safe and being assisted by the Red Cross, Castellano said.
While the weather presented “challenges,” Carr said firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the residence where it originated.
The fire residence sustained heavy damages to the attic and a second-floor bedroom, while the attached residence sustained heavy smoke and water damages.
“Both houses are uninhabitable,” Carr said. “A total of four people were being assisted by the Red Cross.”
The cause of the blaze is under investigation by East Lansdowne Fire Marshal William Redheffer.
Assisting East Lansdowne were Lansdowne, Yeadon, Garrettford Drexel Hill, Cardington-Stonehurst, Millbourne, Manoa, Clifton Heights and Darby fire companies, as well as Mercy Fitzgerald EMS and Delaware County EMS.