Firefighter Injured, School Destroyed In ‘Devastating’ Philly Fire

PHILADELPHIA, PA - A massive three-alarm fire at a Philadelphia Catholic school sent one firefighter to the hospital and rendered a school unusable for the rest of the school year, fire officials said.

The blaze at Our Mother of Consolation School in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood was reported around 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, with first responders noting “smoke and flames coming from the roof” at the scene.

An after school program was taking place inside the building at the time, NBC Philadelphia reported. No injuries were reported from staff or students, according to a letter sent to parents from the school.

The fire soon engulfed the school, triggering a second and third alarm by 4:19 p.m., the Philadelphia Fire Department said in a social media post.

Over 120 Philadelphia firefighters, medics, chiefs and support personnel worked for roughly two hours to battle the fire, officials said. The blaze was put under control shortly after 5 p.m. One injury was reported from a firefighter, who was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries.

The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s Office, fire officials said.

In the letter to parents, school officials noted that classes will not be held in the building for the remainder of the school year due to damage sustained in the incident. The school will shift to a remote learning plan “as soon as possible” and is already considering potential alternative locations for in-person classes. Some offers include local churches, elementary schools and Chestnut Hill College, school officials said.

“The fire that broke out this afternoon at our school was devastating,” pastor John Fisher and school principal Dr. Patricia Sheetz wrote “Thanks to the urgency and professionalism of PFD, further damage to our parish campus was averted.”