Crews Battle Fire At Whitemarsh Township Apartment Complex

Cleve Bryan reports.

♪♪LIVE FROM THE CBS BROADCASTCENTER IN PHILADELPHIA, THISIS CBS3 "EYEWITNESS NEWS."DEVELOPING NOW AT NOONFORCED OUT BY FLAMES, TWOLARGE APARTMENT COMPLEX FIRESSEND DOZENS OF PEOPLE OUT INTOTHE COLD.THE MOST RECENT FIRE BROKE OUTJUST A FEW HOURS AGO IN THESEAPARTMENTS IN WHITEMARSHTOWNSHIP MONTGOMERY COUNTY.GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M JIMDONOVAN.I'M JANELLE BURRELL.YOU CAN SEE THOSE SMOKE ANDFLAMES POURING OUT OF THE ROOFOF THE BUILDING.CLEVE BRYAN IS LIVE AT THEAPARTMENT COMPLEX WHEREFIREFIGHTERS HAD TO BATTLE NOTONLY THE FLAMES BUT THE FRIGIDTEMPS AS WELL.CLEVE.Reporter: THAT'S RIGHT,AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OFFIGHTING THE FLAMES HERE ATTHE SUGAR LAKE APARTMENTS THEFIRE IS NOW UNDER CONTROL BUTIT DID CAUSE SIGNIFICANTDAMAGE TO ONE OF THEBUILDINGS.IN FACT, THE ROOF HASCOLLAPSED ON HALF OF WHAT ISKNOWN AS THE NORTH WALK HEREAT THE SHERRI LAKE APARTMENTS.THE FIRE WAS A CALLED IN ANDWHEN THEY GOT HERE THERE WASSMOKE.THEY SAID SHE WERE ABLE TOSUCCESSFULLY GET EVERY PERSONOUT OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEXSAFELY, ONE PERSON BEINGCHECKED OUT BUT NO SIGNIFICANTINJURIES.THEY ALSO HAD TO PERFORM SOMERESCUES ON SOME ANIMALS THATWERE INSIDE AND AS OF RIGHTNOW, OFFICIALS TELL US THATTHEY ARE NOT AWARE OF LOSINGANY PETS BUT THIS FIRE HAS OFCOURSE BEEN MADE MOREDIFFICULT TO FIGHT BECAUSE OFTHE COLD TEMPERATURES, VERYICY CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND.THEY'VE HAD TO PUT SALT DOWNFOR PEOPLE, FOR FIREFIGHTERSSO THEY DON'T SLIP AS THIS ICEFORMS FROM ALL THE WATER BEINGUSED ON THE FIRE AND I TALKEDTO THE POLICE CHIEF WITH THEWHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP DEPARTMENTJUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO ABOUTWHAT IT LOOKED LIKE WHEN THEFIRST CREWS STARTED TO ARRIVE.FIRST ARRIVING CREWS FOUNDHEAVY FIRE AND IT REALLY BEGANEVACUATING RESIDENTS.ALL THOSE RESIDENTS HAVE BEENSAFELY EVACUATED AND THEY'RECURRENTLY ACCOUNTED FOR.WE'RE ALSO BEING ASSISTED BYTHE MONTGOMERY COUNTYDEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETYEMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISIONTHE AMERICAN RED CROSS, THERED PAW, ALL OF THOSEDIVISIONS ALONG WITHWHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP EMERGENCYMANAGEMENT ARE ASSISTINGRESIDENTS AT THIS POINT INTIME.Reporter: WE ALSO HAVESEPTA ON THE SCENE PROVIDING ABUS TO KEEP PEOPLE WARM.THIS IS A COMFORT BUS SO THATTHE FIREFIGHTERS AS WELL ASTHE RESIDENTS THAT AREDISPLACED HAVE SOMEPLACE WARMTO STAY AS THEY TRY TO FIGUREOUT THEIR NEXT STEPS.WE SEE A NUMBER OF PEOPLESITTING IN THEIR CARSWONDERING WHAT THEY MIGHT DO.RIGHT NOW ALL 16 UNITS THATWERE DAMAGED APPEAR TO HAVEEVERYBODY CLEARED OUT,EVERYONE IS ACCOUNTED FOR ANDNO INJURIES WHICH IS THE GOODSPOT IN THIS VERY DANGEROUSSITUATION THAT UNFOLDED INWHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP.