Pocono News Section

Boy Jumps from 2nd Floor to Escape North Scranton Fire

Boy Jumps from 2nd Floor to Escape North Scranton Fire - Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 11:00AM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Tuesday, Feb 16, 2010 @ 11:00am EST

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY -- A total of 14 people are out of their homes this morning after an apartment building fire in North Scranton. Flames broke out on East Market Street just before 8:00 A. M. One person had to jump to safety and the fire also damaged a neighboring building.

The back of this apartment building in the 400-block of East Market Street in Scranton tells the story. The building was heavily damaged by flames just after 8:00 A. M.

One teenage boy who was inside had to jump to safety. Assistant Fire Chief Jim Floryshak said, “When we got on scene -- we were informed that someone did jump from a second floor window. They were tended to quickly by EMS."

Neighbors say flames have hit the building before, but this time it was particularly bad. Art Sweet has lived in this neighborhood for 20 years. “I just saw the flames -- sticking out there by the church and I came out and the whole place was on fire," he said.

Besides the three-story apartment building where the fire began, flames also extended to an apartment building next door.

Fire victim Thomas Lowe said, “I was sleeping and I heard rippling at the window and I didn't know it was a fire so I went outside and looked over the banister and it was blazing."

More than a dozen people are now displaced between the two buildings. They still haven't been able to assess the damage.

Fire Victim Stephen Gacek said, “We only grabbed a couple of things and we came outside. The flames were filling the house there and reaching our place.”

As for the cause of this morning's apartment building fire that is still under investigation. As for the teenage boy who had to jump from this building, we're told he was not severely injured.