by Alex Lloyd Gross
At least one person sustained critical injuries after being trapped under debris during a house fire on the 15000 block of Wayside Drive. The fire occurred just before 5:00 p.m. today. Residents say it started in the garage. It is unknown whether the fire was caused by an electric vehicle or something else.
Specialty units from the Philadelphia Fire Department were called in, including Heavy Rescue, a Collapse Unit, and multiple ambulances. Crews were staged on Wayside Drive, just below the fire dwelling and past Stevens Street. Snow and ice made walking to the scene difficult, as firefighters had to trudge through the muck, sometimes while carrying heavy equipment. Once operations were complete, they had to carry that equipment back to their trucks as well.
An official cause has not yet been determined and will be confirmed by the Fire Marshal. The interior of the house collapsed, and thick gray smoke could be seen for miles before the fire was brought under control.
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo Delaware Valley News.com Firefighters have to trudge through the snow to get to the scene.
Area streets were blocked by five-inch fire hoses, making travel in the area nearly impossible. Large amounts of running water from the hoses are expected to cause icing, and the Streets Department will