4 people rescued in fire at Northeast Philadelphia home on New Year's Day, officials say
Four people were rescued after a fire broke out at a Northeast Philadelphia home on New Year's Day, according to Philadelphia police.
Crews were called to the 10000 block of Nandina Way around 12:30 a.m. for a report of a fire with multiple people trapped.
Responding firefighters saw heavy flames and smoke coming from a garage, and the fire had spread to a house. Ring camera video captured the sound of a loud explosion at the duplex before it went up in flames.
Witnesses said they believed they heard fireworks moments before the fire, but the Philadelphia Fire Department has yet to confirm how the blaze started.
"It was like in no time the whole building was engulfed," Richard Treacy, a neighbor, said.
Of the four people rescued, three of them — two women and a man — were taken to a nearby hospital for smoke inhalation.
Police said the blaze spread to all three stories of the structure. The fire was placed under control just after 1:30 a.m. The cause is still under investigation.
City crews have since placed a fence around the property, calling it a danger.
Neighbors said they feel for the people affected who are now without a home to start the new year.
"Everybody, even next door, they don't have a home now," Treacy said. "It looks like the whole thing is going to have to be torn down. It's horrible, especially New Year's Eve."
The American Red Cross is assisting residents who were displaced by the blaze.