A firefighter who fell from a first-floor rooftop while battling a Saturday night blaze that damaged five houses in Harrisburg is now at home recovering from his injuries, city fire Chief Brian Enterline confirmed.
As of Sunday afternoon, Enterline said the cause and origin of the blaze on the 2000 block of Briggs Street had not yet been determined.
“We are still investigating and need to talk to some people yet," he said.
The fire, which burned its way through five attached homes, was reported about 10 p.m. Saturday, when firefighters were dispatched and spent the nighttime hours battling flames.
At least three of the five buildings were fully involved, with heavy flames showing, when firefighters arrived, Enterline said in a video recorded at the scene. All five buildings were “significantly damaged,” and seven adults and one child were displaced, officials said.
Those displaced by the blaze received assistance from the Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania.
While battling the flames, a firefighter fell from a first-floor roof attached to one of the homes, Enterline said, explaining Saturday night that the firefighter was “in good condition."
That firefighter was transported from the scene of the blaze to Hershey Medical Center. By Sunday afternoon, he had been released from the hospital and is now recovering at home, Enterline said.
The firefighter — whose name and exact injuries were not revealed — will not immediately return to work, Enterline said.
“He’ll be off for a little bit recovering,” he said.
No residents were injured by the blaze, Enterline said.
In a video recorded shortly after the fire, Enterline explains that he was unsure where the blaze originated because of significant damage to the wooden-frame row homes.
The origin and cause of the blaze remained a mystery Sunday afternoon.
"It can sometimes take a week or two, and we may never know the exact cause,” Enterline said.
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