Philadelphia

Fire Burns for Hours at Vacant Apartments

Firefighters battled a stubborn blaze early Monday at an abandoned Philadelphia apartment building known to be used by squatters.

The blaze broke out around 1 a.m. in a vacant apartment four-story building along Arrott Street near Oakland Street in Philadelphia’s Frankford neighborhood.

Firefighters quickly got to the scene but more than four hours later the fire continued to burn in certain parts of the building. A firefighter suffered cuts to his face.

Neighbors were evacuated from their homes and kept warm inside SEPTA buses.

Firefighters didn’t know an immediate cause for the blaze but they said that fire has broken out at the property before including a suspicious blaze last week. A squatter often seen at the property wasn't seen Sunday night, according to neighbors.

Crews blocked off Arrott Street throughout the morning as they battled the blaze. The firefighters finally squashed the flames around 5 a.m. and let nearby residents back into their home. But, around 6:30 a.m. flames started up again.

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