'We've Been Here 75 Years': Four-Alarm Blaze In Frankford Guts Business, Displaces Six People
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Nearly 150 Philadelphia firefighters were called in to put out massive flames in a Frankford building Friday. Crews responded to a call around 12:15 p.m. on the 4500 block of Frankford Avenue.
Fire officials say the building has both commercial and residential units. Six people have been displaced.
"Cramer's Uniforms, we burned down today. We've been here for 75 years," owner Robert Cramer said.
Out of those 75 years, this one will be the most trying. Cramer's Uniforms was first closed by the pandemic and then gutted by a fire that reached four alarms.
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Thick, black smoke pouring from the business and residential block could be seen and smelled for miles.
The fire's location, next to the SEPTA Market-Frankford Line, led to service disruption and provided practical challenges in the firefight, but no more so than the heat did as Philadelphia saw its first day in the 80s this season.
"Obviously, it's a very hot day. The gear that we are wearing literally weighs, the full kit weighs about 100 pounds, so very hot, very smoky fire, as you can tell," Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said.
Nearly three hours into the fight, the fire was deemed under control. Firefighters managed to contain the spread of the flames to just two-and-a-half buildings down from where it started.
"A lot of fire departments would have written off that entire block but that's not what we do in Philadelphia," Thiel said.
Philadelphia doesn't back down. Cramer knows that well, just as his grandfather did when he started Cramer's Uniforms.
"It's very upsetting but we will be open and ready to go for back to school to put our kids in the uniforms," Cramer said.
They have two other Philadelphia locations.
One firefighter has been taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion.
The initial call was for a two-alarm fire but it spread to four alarms. There is no word on what started the fire.
CBS3's Alexandria Hoff contributed to this report.
