Roughly 20 displaced after raging fire in West Philadelphia; cause under investigation

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Nearly two dozen people are displaced after a raging fire tore through several homes in West Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon.

The fire broke out just after noon on the 6100 block of Walnut Street.

Firefighters were called for flames showing from the porch of a rowhome.

Residents and neighbors looked on in disbelief as the fire raged out of control. Some homeowners were seen embracing first responders in the aftermath.

By late afternoon, some homeowners were unaware of the fire, coming home to find the damage and to news they would not being able to stay here Saturday night.

"The front of the house is not good, they had to knock out the window, the door and stuff, but the upstairs is intact," said resident Debbie Brown.

Brown, like many, has lived in the neighborhood for many years.

She's also one of the 20 or so residents that have been displaced out of the seven homes affected.

Her home was spared the worst damage but that's not what she's most grateful for.

"We're just glad we're alive, no one was hurt, my animals my dog and my cat were saved," she added.

Tony Wilson is also grateful his pet survived.

"Pretty much more smoke damage than physical damage," Wilson said.

He was home when the flames erupted, making it out just in time to see the horror unfolding.

"People were actually knocking on doors to make sure everyone was out of harm's way," he added.

Many here are also giving major credit to the Philadelphia Fire Department for their swift response and saving as many of the homes as they could.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.