Raw video: Four-alarm Philly fire with multiple collapses. Warehouse stored equipment for famed Mummers parade.
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A was reported fire yesterday afternoon at a warehouse at 2nd Street and Wharton Street in Philadelphia that was rented by one of Philadelphia’s Mummers organizations. The fire went to four-alarms The video above is from Rudy Thomas and the video immediately below is from phillyfirenews and includes the collapse of one of the walls of the structure. The third video also shows a collapse.
B/C-1 had heavy fire in the rear of a two story building, 60×100. Companies had trouble gaining access to the building. Second alarm struck and all companies to evacuate the building. Command placed all hand service with heaviest water lines. Requested the third alarm struck. One civilian was transported to the hospital with smoke inhalation. The fourth alarm was requested, had extension into an exposure.
The warehouse also housed an auto-repair shop.
Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said firefighters initially attacked the fire from inside, but the flames and smoke were too heavy. Several cars inside were on fire. The firefighters retreated.
“It was a good decision,” he said.
Ayers said there was “tons of fire (and) several explosions early on.”
A fire in South Philadelphia that started in a warehouse used to store cars caused heavy damage to a nearby warehouse used to store equipment for a successful Mummers group, destroyed a row home and left other row homes with smoke and water damage.
The four-alarm blaze began at 1301 South 2nd St. around 2:30 p.m. Officials say an elderly woman who lived in the row home that was destroyed was injured in the blaze and remained in stable condition Monday night.
The fire broke out near a warehouse that houses props and equipment used by the Fralinger String Band, a decorated Mummers group. The fire spread quickly to the warehouse and caused extensive damage to nearby homes.
A huge warehouse fire that erupted Monday might have destroyed elaborate props slated for use in the city’s annual New Year’s Day parade, event participants said.
Members of the Fralinger String Band said they were waiting to survey the damage from the blaze in a largely residential area of south Philadelphia. Firefighters were still pouring water on the building several hours after the first flames were reported, Fralinger Chairman Steve Coper said.
Several explosions were reported at the three-story industrial garage, fire department Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said. It took more than 100 firefighters almost four hours to get the blaze controlled.
