Raging flames ripped through an apartment complex on Friday.
The inferno incinerated at least 10 units, leaving several families homeless at the Academy Woods Apartments on Cedar Lane in Florence.
Slideshow:
The three-alarm fire started shortly after 11 a.m.
"I seen the smoke coming out of the apartment, so I went back in, woke her up, told her to get dressed and called 911," said Alex Simonka, a victim of the fire.
"We were fighting a battle when we got here because the fire had a big lead on us," said Chief Edward Kensler of the Florence Township Fire Department.
Even though fire crews were there in six minutes, the flames jumped the older firewalls.
"By the time we got here, the fire had already made (it to) the attic space. Our hope was to try and get up there and make trench cuts to prevent the fire from spreading either way. Unfortunately, the fire did take off," Kensler said.
For Alex and Shirley Simonka, the fire might have claimed a irreplaceable journal they were keeping for their grandchildren.
"Everything you have is gone, and my pocketbook's still in there," said Shirley Simonka.
Ten of the apartments were gutted and four or five were heavily damaged. Fire investigators said it should take another day or two to determine the cause of the fire.
Copyright 2006 by NBC10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Site Publication" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page.
