More Than Two Dozen People Displaced Following Fire At Whitemarsh Township Apartment Complex

Cleve Bryan reports.

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYSSMUTE PLANS TO PLEAD GUILT TOYTHIRD DEGREE MURDER.TONIGHT MORE THAN TWODOZEN PEOPLE ARE DISPLACEDFOLLOWING A RAGING FIRE IN AWHITE MARSH TOWNSHIP APARTMENTCOMPLEX.FIRE FIGHTERS BATTLED SMOKE,FLAMES AND THE COLD TO GETEVERYONE TO SAFETY."EYEWITNESS NEWS" REPORTERCLEVE BRYAN SPOKE WITHGRATEFUL RESIDENTS.MY MOTHER IS OUT, 83 YEARSOLD.REPORTER: RESIDENTS INWHITE MARSH TOWNSHIP FORCETODD EVACUATE SHERRY LAKEAPARTMENT COMPLEX TUESDAYMORNING AS A FIRE RIPPEDTHROUGH THEIR BUILDING.GRABBED THE DOG, GRABBEDSOME MEDICINE FOR MY MOM, ANDTHEN GRABBED THE INSURANCEPAPERS AND OUT THE DOOR WEWENT.REPORTER: FIRE FIGHTERS GOTTHE CALL AT 9:00 A.M.

ANDARRIVED WITHIN MINUTES.SAFELY EVACUATING ALL RESIDENTAND RESCUING ALL BUT ONE PETCAUGHT IN THE HEAVY SMOKE.THEY ATTACK FIRE IN THE FRIGIDCOLD, THE FLAMES QUICKLYSPREAD.WE HAVE TWO MAKING IT ANAGGRESSIVE ATTACK.THIS HE WERE MET WITH HE HAVEI FIRE ON THE FIRST AND SECONDFLOOR.REPORTER: HALF OF THE ROOFOF THE NOR WALK BUILDINGCOLLAPSED BEFORE CREWS GOT THEFIRE UNDER CONTROL.IN TOTAL 16 UNITS WERE DAMAGEDAND 25 RESIDENT, WEREDISPLACED.NO PEOPLE, BUT ONE PET DIEDFROM THE FIRE.ONE PERSON RECEIVED TREATMENTAT THE SCENE FOR SMOKEINHALATION AND ONE FIREFIGHTER SUFFERED A NONLIFETHREATENING CUT.BESIDE FIRE COLD WAS ALSO AHAS AIR.SEPTA PROVIDED A COMFORT BUSTO KEEP PEOPLE WARM FROM THESUB FREEZING TEMPERATURES, ANDTHEN RED CROSS AND RED PAWSORGANIZATIONS WERE ALSOHELPING SEVERAL PEOPLE THATLOST IT ALL.SO WE HAVE A BIG TEAM OFPEOPLE HERE WORKING WITH THERESIDENTS TO DETERMINE WHATTHEIR NEEDS ARE WE ARE HELPINGPEOPLE WHO NEED WITT LODGING.SOMEWHERE TO SLEEP TONIGHT.REPORTER: RED CROSS ISPROVIDING SHELTER FOR EIGHTPEOPLE THIS EVENING, AND FIREOFFICIALS SAY THAT THE CAUSE