UPDATE: Skippack Pike Fire Leaves Building Uninhabitable

8:30 p.m. Update: Centre Square Fire Chief Lee Miller said the Sunday afternoon fire on Skippack Pike originated in apartment 1 of a house that was converted to a three unit apartment. Miller said the apartment "sustained severe fire, heat and smoke damage."He added that the other two apartments were vacant and only sustained minor damage during the fire.

Whitpain Fire Marshals are investigating the cause of the fire.

The building has been deemed uninhabitable.

Original report follows:

An apartment fire shut down Skippack Pike from DeKalb to North Wales Rd. in Whitpain Township on Sunday afternoon.

Fire departments are still investigating what caused the kitchen fire in one of the three apartments at 1433 Skippack Pike, but the resident said when she returned home on Sunday afternoon, she smelled the odor of gas before she smelled smoke in the area behind the stove.

Centre Square Fire Chief, Lee Miller, said the fire was contained to the first floor kitchen area.

He added that the fire was under control pretty quick.

The one apartment is not habitable due to fire, smoke and water damage. Miller said he was not sure about the state of the other two apartments.

North Penn, East Norriton, Centre Square and Worcester Fire Companies responded to the fire, as well as Second Alarmers Rescue Squad. Miller told Patch that no injuries to residents or fire personnel were reported.

The gas to the apartments was shut off by firefighters and PECO was called to the scene to investigate the claim of a gas leak.