West Philadelphia neighborhood residents—including a former firefighter—helped crews rescue people from the second story of a burning building early Monday
The blaze, which began at about 2 a.m., displaced 10 people and sent three people to local hospitals, KYW-TV reports. A malfunctioning air conditioner is being blamed for starting the fire.
Video from the scene shows Philadelphia firefighters using an aerial to reach residents trapped on the second floor and get them safely to the street. As soon as he saw the flames in the building, Nadir Darby, a former firefighter, began helping other residents escape.
"I woke everybody up," Darby told KYW. "My kid went to the door to try to get out and smoke rushed up the steps, so the only way out was through the window. Once they got the ladders up, it was only a matter of getting everyone out.”
