Five people were rescued after a Philadelphia fireman died in a building that fell during a fire.
A Philadelphia fireman was killed early Saturday when a structure fell shortly after a fire was put out.
According to a fire officer, four of his colleagues and a municipal worker were rescued alive from the wreckage.
According to 1st Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy, the fall of 300 W. Indiana Ave. in the city’s Fairhill area happened soon before 3:30 a.m., roughly 90 minutes after firemen were summoned to combat the fire there. It sent colleagues running to rescue individuals trapped inside.
“After a member of our department heroically fought a fire, he was trapped in a building that fell after the fire was out,” he added.
“We just completed removing… our brethren from this location. It’s going to be a difficult few weeks ahead “Murphy made the announcement to reporters on Saturday morning.
There were no early details on what caused the fire in the structure or what it held. It’s a three-story facility in a commercial/mixed-use area of town, according to city records.
Four firemen were rescued and sent to the hospital, along with a municipal licensing and inspection official. The licensing worker was discharged, but the four firefighters remained hospitalized in stable condition Saturday morning, according to Murphy.
Who is Lt. Sean Williamson?
Lt. Sean Williamson, 51, was confirmed as the fireman who died later Saturday, according to a municipal press release. According to the announcement, Williamson was a 27-year veteran of the fire department.
During a press conference, Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel described Williamson as “one of our most seasoned lieutenants.”
Thiel added, “I’m nearly dumbfounded.” “I haven’t stopped sobbing yet.”
Fire Marshal Lt. Sylvester Burton, Lt. Clarence Johnson, fireman Dennis Daly, firefighter Robert Brennan, Jr., and Thomas Rybakowski, a supervisor with the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections, were among the five others hurt, according to officials.
According to the announcement, the Fire Marshal’s Office is working with the ATF to figure out what caused the fire. It went on to say that the reason has yet to be discovered.
Mckourage