UPDATE:
Four people were hurt in an intense morning fire in Lancaster and police are calling it suspicious.
One man had to drop his baby out a window and then jump out himself after his girlfriend.
The fire destroyed a building that has eight apartments and the father who dropped his baby to safety has his story for us.
The inferno that swallowed 516 East Chestnut Street overnight was intense enough to wake neighbors.
“The whole house was on fire, it was like lit, like a candle,” explained one neighbor.
“When I go outside to look, flames and smoke everywhere,” a neighbor stated.
Onlookers couldn’t know at the time that their neighbor was in the middle of the smoke and flames.
“Scared, terrified, fighting for my life really, I couldn’t breathe,” stated Joe Philips.
Joe Philips was sleeping when the fire started, so were his baby boy and girlfriend.
“We smelled smoke, my girlfriend grabbed the door, it was real hot and she opened it and all the smoke actually went into the crib,” Philips explained.
They ran to the back of their apartment, and then made a split second decision from two stories up.
“I had to drop my son to somebody else from window, then she jumped and then I jumped following,” Philips told us.
Neighbors saw others trapped too.
“There was a guy stuck on the third floor, so he was like trying to get out so the ambulance came and they took him,” commented a neighbor.
In all, four people were taken to the hospital. Philips was still in his hospital clothes when he told us what the fire showed him.
“Your life can change in an instant, and I don’t even know where fire came from,” Philips stated. “I was sleeping, I hope it gets to the bottom and I can move on with my life.”
Philips’ baby is ok, he does have a cut on his face though. The other victims are expected to survive as well.
Police are still investigating the cause but do say damage to the structure is estimated at 400 thousand dollars.
The American Red Cross is helping the victims who were displaced.
UPDATE:
Reports are that 4 people have been taken to the hospital, but no word on their injuries. The fire is mostly contained to one apartment building. The bulk of the flames have been knocked back, but they are still fighting the fire. Investigators are on scene but have no information about the cause of the fire.
Multiple crews are on the scene of a 4-alarm fire at an apartment building at 516 East Chestnut Street in Lancaster City. The building is engulfed in flames and crews have evacuated the building. There are no reported injuries at this time.
CBS 21 News has a crew on the scene and will update with more information as it becomes available.
Four people were hurt in an intense morning fire in Lancaster and police are calling it suspicious.
One man had to drop his baby out a window and then jump out himself after his girlfriend.
The fire destroyed a building that has eight apartments and the father who dropped his baby to safety has his story for us.
The inferno that swallowed 516 East Chestnut Street overnight was intense enough to wake neighbors.
“The whole house was on fire, it was like lit, like a candle,” explained one neighbor.
“When I go outside to look, flames and smoke everywhere,” a neighbor stated.
Onlookers couldn’t know at the time that their neighbor was in the middle of the smoke and flames.
“Scared, terrified, fighting for my life really, I couldn’t breathe,” stated Joe Philips.
Joe Philips was sleeping when the fire started, so were his baby boy and girlfriend.
“We smelled smoke, my girlfriend grabbed the door, it was real hot and she opened it and all the smoke actually went into the crib,” Philips explained.
They ran to the back of their apartment, and then made a split second decision from two stories up.
“I had to drop my son to somebody else from window, then she jumped and then I jumped following,” Philips told us.
Neighbors saw others trapped too.
“There was a guy stuck on the third floor, so he was like trying to get out so the ambulance came and they took him,” commented a neighbor.
In all, four people were taken to the hospital. Philips was still in his hospital clothes when he told us what the fire showed him.
“Your life can change in an instant, and I don’t even know where fire came from,” Philips stated. “I was sleeping, I hope it gets to the bottom and I can move on with my life.”
Philips’ baby is ok, he does have a cut on his face though. The other victims are expected to survive as well.
Police are still investigating the cause but do say damage to the structure is estimated at 400 thousand dollars.
The American Red Cross is helping the victims who were displaced.
UPDATE:
Reports are that 4 people have been taken to the hospital, but no word on their injuries. The fire is mostly contained to one apartment building. The bulk of the flames have been knocked back, but they are still fighting the fire. Investigators are on scene but have no information about the cause of the fire.
Multiple crews are on the scene of a 4-alarm fire at an apartment building at 516 East Chestnut Street in Lancaster City. The building is engulfed in flames and crews have evacuated the building. There are no reported injuries at this time.
CBS 21 News has a crew on the scene and will update with more information as it becomes available.