Apartment fire in Emporium displaces 13

EMPORIUM, Pa. - An apartment fire that broke out Tuesday night in Emporium has rekindled Wednesday.

A state police fire marshal said the original fire broke out at a seven-unit apartment complex on East Allegheny Avenue at 10:19 p.m. Tuesday.

The fire marshal said the fire started on a back porch on the second story.

All seven units were occupied and housed a total of 13 people.

Emporium Fire Chief Adam Johnson said the fire was contained to the second floor but the rest of the building suffered water damage.

Johnson said difficulties with the building's double roof had crews on scene until 7 a.m. Wednesday.

"There's the old roof which was a shingle roof and then a metal roof over top of that and the fire was actually burning in between those two roofs, which lead to a long interior firefighting operation," Johnson said.

According to the fire marshal, the cause is accidental and is believed to have been started by a cigarette.

Tenant Paula Berry said she was awakened to the sound of people yelling and pounding on neighbors' doors.

"I remember seeing the flames come from the back door and the smoke and we took off running down the hall and we could feel it right behind us," Berry said.

The Red Cross is assisting nine adults and three children who were impacted by the blaze.

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