The first call came in about 12:17 a.m. at the complex on Meeting Street in West Chester.
When crews arrived, all three floors and the attic of the building had active fire, according to a township release. Crews began fighting the fire and searching for anyone who might be trapped inside.
“It was very fortunate that everyone was able to get out of the building,” said Fire Chief Rick Prinz.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
All residents were out of the building, and crews focused on extinguishing the fire, calling on additional departments for mutual aid.
“At one point, we believed the roof could collapse, so firefighters moved out of the building to fight the fire from outside,” Prinz said.
According to township officials, a firefighter was transported to West Chester Hospital for heat exposure, and one civilian was transported due to smoke.
One woman who escaped with her daughter said she was going to bed when she saw a bright light outside her window and realized it was a fire.
“I think the adrenaline just, you know, just like I said, I woke my daughter up immediately like ‘We got to go right now Gabrielle,’ and just want to get out and be safe,” Marissa McMurtry told our news partners at WCPO. “It was like, it was a scary moment. We’ve never been through something like this before. I covered up my face just because it was, I guess the smoke was already pretty intense.”
The American Red Cross is supporting the families displaced because of the fire.
Fire crews were on the scene for approximately five hours.
The State Fire Marshal and West Chester’s fire investigators will work to determine the cause of the fire. A township official said it could take some time to rule on a cause.