LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A vacant home was destroyed by fire in the Smoketown neighborhood early Friday, and firefighters used a ladder to rescue two people trapped in the home next door.
It was the second fire in two days in the area. On Thursday, flames consumed a warehouse directly across the street. No injuries were reported in either fire.
According to Battalion Chief Maj. Bobby Cooper with Louisville Fire & Rescue, the first report of Friday's fire came from a passerby at 5:36 a.m., and crews were on scene within three minutes. Cooper says the two-story building was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, with flames spreading to nearby buildings.
After determining that there were people inside the house next to the burning vacant building, firefighters used a ladder to rescue two people trapped inside. Cooper said they were not injured, but are displaced for now. The Red Cross has offered assistance.
After the two were safely rescued, firefighters turned their attention to the main fire and the other home on the north side. It took 50 firefighters 25 minutes to get the flames under control. The vacant building was destroyed, and the neighboring houses sustained moderate damage.
Cooper couldn't speculate on whether the fires could be connected to Louisville's homeless population, but did say investigators are considering all possibilities, especially since there were two fires in two days so close to each other. He says the person who reported the fire actually thought it was the same building that burned Thursday morning.
"Of course, two fires around the same time in the morning, two days in a row, the neighbors do have concerns," Cooper said. "As far as homeless go, we do have reports that there are homeless in the area, a homeless population. Unfortunately, when you have vulnerable populations that are seeking shelter, they're going to seek vacant properties like these. That's not to say that that's the cause or anything like that."
Troy Mock was one of the people rescued from the second floor of his apartment Friday morning.
"Yesterday we heard an explosion and 100-foot flames across the street," Mock said. "This morning, we heard the exact same explosion, and the house next door to us went up in flames. The firemen were nice enough to take me down a ladder and get me out of my house. It was absolutely terrifying."
Mock said the flames were too close to his door for him to escape that way. "I was gonna jump off the back window, and all of a sudden a ladder came, and these nice gentlemen said come with me.'"
Several arson investigators are looking into the cause Thursday and Friday's fires. Anyone who may have information, or video from surveillance cameras, is asked to report it to 574-LMPD.
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