Massive Flames Engulf Apartment Building In Mantua

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Massive flames engulfed an apartment building in Philadelphia's Mantua neighborhood overnight, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. The fire broke out around 2:35 a.m. Monday near Mount Vernon and 35th Streets.

Flames grew so large, the fire burst through the windows of the second and third floors of the apartment building.

Thick black smoke snaked its way for several blocks.

People who live nearby say were asleep when they were suddenly hit with the intensity of that smoke and the sound of their smoke alarms going off.

"We saw it coming from the first floor and then it went all the way up. It started getting real bad," said a resident who lives nearby. "This is our first apartment together. We are college students, we don't want to lose our first apartment. We just moved out of home."

Authorities believe the building was unoccupied at the time.

There were no reported injuries.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

CBS3's Crystal Cranmore contributed to this report.