Four people were hospitalized and 11 families were displaced on Monday night, following a fire at the D Building of Wissahickon Apartments on East Main Street in Lansdale.
Crews from multiple area fire companies were dispatched to 757 East Main Street at 9:56 p.m. for a report of a fire in a second floor apartment. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy fire within the apartment, as well as four residents who were trapped in neighboring apartments.
According to Fairmount Fire Company Deputy Chief Gavin Butler, members of the fire service, along with police, building maintenance personnel and a few neighbors, worked to free the four residents who were trapped, and all were able to exit the building through windows. Butler said that he could not provide the age or sex of the victims or the extent of their injuries, but added that three were transported via ambulance to Lansdale Hospital and one was transported via ambulance to Abington Memorial Hospital.
“Because of the excellent teamwork on scene, our crews were able to quickly get everyone out safely and make a quick, aggressive fire attack and hold the fire mostly to the room of origin within the apartment of origin,” said Butler. “We spent some time checking for fire extension into the upper apartments and roof before placing the fire under control, which I believe was less than an hour.”
Butler added that five cats were rescued from the fire, and later turned over to their owners.
Though the fire was successfully contained to the initial apartment, Butler said there was heavy smoke damage throughout that section of the building, affecting a total of 11 units. As a result of the damage, residents of those 11 apartments have been displaced and are currently being assisted by the Red Cross.
Butler said that the apartment had smoke detectors installed and the building’s fire alarm system appeared to be in working order. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, and has since been turned over to the fire marshal.
In addition to the Fairmount Fire Company, units from Lansdale Borough Police Department, North Penn Fire Company, Colmar Fire Company, Worcester Fire Company, Fire Department of Montgomery Township, Volunteer Medical Service Corps of Lansdale, North Penn Goodwill, American Red Cross and Lansdale Borough Electric provided assistance at the scene.
East Main Street, which was closed while first responders were on scene, was reopened around 1 a.m. once the scene was cleared.
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