6 rescued after fire in vacant house spreads to neighboring property in west Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Six people were rescued after intense fire from a neighboring home damaged their house early Thursday.

According to a news release from Maj. Bobby Cooper with the Louisville Fire Department, the first report of a fire in the 1700 block of West Kentucky Street, near Dixie Highway, came in just after 1 a.m. Crews arrived at the single-story home in two minutes to find the rear of the single-story home engulfed in flames, "with fire extending to occupied neighboring homes."

Cooper said that's when firefighters "established defensive operations on the main fire building, deployed exposure lines to protect adjacent property, and initiated search and rescue operations in the occupied homes."

It took more than 30 firefighters approximately one hour to bring the fire under control. Cooper said the main fire building was destroyed while neighboring property sustained moderate damage.

He said someone passing by the scene alerted six sleeping people in the neighboring home, allowing them to get out before firefighters arriving on scene.

No injuries were reported.

The American Red Cross is assisting the six people who were displaced by the fire.

Cooper said arson investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.