Vacant house on Main catches fire

A fire that gutted a vacant house on Main Street just northwest of the First Methodist Church took just over five hours to clear.

The Philadelphia Fire Department responded to the house fire at 570 East Main Street on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 3:30 p.m., according to Philadelphia Fire Department Battalion Chief Robert Baker.

Baker said they are still investigating how and where the fire started in the house. He said parts of the structure were still standing when they cleared the scene at about 9 p.m., noting that the inside was “completely gutted.”

Traffic on Main Street was blocked as firefighters battled the blaze. Balker said Philadelphia Police Officers were directing traffic at the scene.

No injuries have been reported, though a firefighter did become overheated. Baker said he experienced “heat stress,” which is common in the heat.

“It was just typical summertime firefighting,” Baker said. “He sat down and cooled off and got some fluids and he was able to suit back up and get back to work. No one was transported.”

Units from all three PFD stations responded to the blaze, and Baker said personnel from the Longino Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the call.