The fire broke out at 7:38 a.m. inside the Transition to Independent Living facility, located on the 4500 block of Spruce Street in West Philadelphia.
Firefighters say they arrived to find heavy flames pouring out of the building.
At the time of the fire, most of the residents were already out of the building. Three people had to be helped out, and two people were taken to the hospital.
A board member tells Action News that one of the people taken to the hospital was the center's director. He believed the director was suffering from smoke inhalation.
The Transition to Independent Living facility is a non-profit organization, which provides 10 independent rooms to the residents who are disabled in some way. The center helps Section 8 clients, in wheelchairs, learn the skills to live on their own.
Fire investigators tell Action News that the building did have working smoke detectors and appears to be well run.
There is no word on what may have sparked the blaze.
