Robert Moran
The Philadelphia Inquirer
(TNS)
Mar. 21—A three-alarm blaze struck the historic Our Mother of Consolation Parish School in the city's Chestnut Hill section Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
Firefighters responded around 3:40 p.m. to the school, located at 17 E. Chestnut Hill Ave. near Germantown Avenue, and found smoke and flames coming from the roof, Philadelphia Fire Department spokesperson Rachel Cunningham said.
No one was inside the building at the time, said Kenneth A. Gavin, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The convent next door was evacuated because of its proximity to the school.
"We are deeply grateful to the Philadelphia Fire Department for its rapid response," Gavin said.
More than 120 Fire Department personnel responded to the blaze, Cunningham said. The third alarm was struck at 4:19 p.m.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries and was transported by medics to a hospital for treatment, Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said.
The fire was declared under control at 5:10.
"The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation by the Fire Marshal's Office," Cunningham said.
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