By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• Nine Philadelphia firefighters were injured Monday when a floor collapsed while they were combating a blaze in a vacant building, officials said.
• The fire started in a three-story former commercial structure in the South Kensington neighborhood.
• Crews encountered heavy fire and thick smoke upon arrival and advanced lines into the building.
• As firefighters operated inside, a second-floor collapse trapped and injured several personnel.
• The injured were transported to hospitals; all were expected to survive, fire officials said.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Nine Philadelphia firefighters were injured Monday morning when a floor gave way during operations at a blaze in a vacant three-story building in the South Kensington section of the city, fire officials said.
Philadelphia Fire Department crews arrived to heavy fire and dense smoke at the former commercial structure and advanced hose lines toward the seat of the blaze, according to department reports.
While firefighters were operating inside, a section of the second-floor structure collapsed, causing injuries to multiple personnel, officials said.
Emergency medical services were summoned, and the injured firefighters were transported to area hospitals for treatment; the fire department said all were expected to survive their injuries.
Investigators with the fire department and building safety officials were at the scene to determine the cause of the fire and factors contributing to the floor failure.