Woman rescued from house fire by neighbor in West Oak Lane

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A neighbor rescued a woman trapped on the third floor of a burning twin home in Philadelphia's West Oak Lane neighborhood early Sunday morning.

The fire broke out around 5 a.m. in a three-story twin home on the 7200 block of North 15th Street. Firefighters spent about 90 minutes bringing the blaze under control and remained at the scene later in the morning working to extinguish hotspots.

Officials said crews encountered extreme hoarding conditions inside the home and were forced to battle the fire from outside because they could not safely enter the building.

Emma Hammond Vincent, who lives in the adjoining home, said her neighbor called to say she was trapped upstairs and unable to see through the smoke.

Hammond Vincent said she alerted her husband, who went to help.

"He went upstairs, came through our third-floor window and then he grabbed her and swung her over," Hammond Vincent said.

The woman was pulled to safety through a third-floor window and onto a ledge connecting the homes.

"I guess it's instincts," Hammond Vincent said. "We all talk about it like, 'What are you going to do? What's the exit strategy?' You just never think you actually have to enforce it. I think we did pretty good as neighbors to make sure we all got out safe."

At the scene, belongings were piled on the front porch and lawn as firefighters continued cleanup efforts.

No injuries were reported, and all residents were safely evacuated, officials said.