Community saddened after Wissinoming Dollar Tree goes up in flames
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Firefighters battled a massive fire at a Dollar Tree in Philadelphia's Wissinoming neighborhood Sunday afternoon.
Heavy black smoke could be seen for miles.
The fire has been knocked down, but firefighters are still pouring water onto the building because there's a lot of smoke, and they want to make sure the fire is completely out.
It's still an active scene and the damage is extensive.
The outside of the Dollar Tree is charred black.
A large crowd gathered to watch firefighters put out the flames.
Witnesses said at one point, they heard a loud explosion coming from the building, but officials haven't determined what exactly that was.
"It exploded on the roof because there was a lot of fire on the roof and it exploded up there," Matthew Aldonado, of Mayfair, said. "And everybody just started backing up. Like, everybody was scared. They didn't know what was going to happen."
Firefighters say one of the challenges they faced when they got into the building was finding the fire.
"The Dollar Tree is a staple for our community, so sad to see it go, but thank God for the firefighters who showed up and got the balze under control," Joseph Connor said.
PECO says the electricity has been shut off at Dollar Tree and AutoZone, which is right next door, because they both get power from the same line.
The utility company is waiting on word from the fire department on when to turn back on the power to AutoZone.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.
