fire firegeezer on 30 Apr 2008 10:18 am
6-Alarms At Philadelphia Church
Updated, 12:45 pm:
A MASSIVE FIRE AT A PHILADELPHIA CHURCH that started shortly before 8 am Eastern quickly consumed the large building and has spread to neighboring homes.
Philadelphia Inquirer photo
The Prince of Peace Baptist Church is a missionary church. The four-story structure which was built in 1905 was originally the William Stokely Elementary School and the interior was all wood frame and paneling, leading to a rapid fire growth. The first-due fire company was on the scene in four minutes and the building was already fully involved.
Deputy Fire Commissioner Ernest Hargett said, “It was like having a lumber yard inside there.”
Ch. 29 images
Unusually high winds carried flaming embers throughout the neighborhood and set fires to five of the nearby homes. The FD went door-to-door telling people to evacuate to a safer distance for a while.
The church fire was first reported shortly before 8 a.m. and had gone to five alarms by 8:39. The sixth alarm was struck at 9:06 to bring more manpower on the scene for the exposure fires and evacuations.
Shortly after the fire was deemed “under control” at 9:45, the rear wall of the building collapsed.
Ch. 3 has early video coverage HERE.
Ch. 29 has four videos posted HERE.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has the latest REPORT.
Ch. 29
on 30 Apr 2008 at 1:42 pm 1.north chief said …
Noticed something that I see a lot in some major departments. On the video there appears to be at my count 8 firefighters operating on the roof of a row dwelling, only 1 member has an SCBA on. Is there no mandatory mask policy in these big departments like Boston and Philly, or is it there but just not enforced?