There are a number of ways people in the neighborhood can help out the victims of yesterday’s fire at the Windermere Court Apartment complex at 48th and Walnut Streets.

The Salvation Army center in West Philadelphia at 5501 Market St. is accepting a variety of donations, including clothing and linens. The center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Although the main entrance is on Market Street, it is easier to access from the back on Arch Street, where the door to the storage facility is located.

Here is an interview with Natasha Rush of the Salvation Army:

The Red Cross Philly, which is operating the shelter at the Locke School at 4550 Haverford Avenue is asking donors not to bring cash donations or clothing to the shelter. The best way to donate to the Red Cross, which is providing emergency supplies and spending money for the victims as well as connecting them to counseling and other types of services, is to donate on the website.

Here is an interview with Dave Schrader with the Red Cross:

Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers speaking at about
7:30 p.m. as firefighters brought the blaze at 48th and Walnut Streets under control.
(Photo by West Philly Local)

8:35 p.m.: Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said 89 of the 90 apartments affected by the fire were occupied. Ayers said the fire, which appeared to have started in the northwest corner of the building, moved east toward 48th Street. “It went west to east through that building pretty fast,” Ayers said. He did not speculate on a cause.

So far about 100 residents have registered with the Red Cross at their shelter at the Locke Alaine School at 4550 Haverford Ave., according to Red Cross Philly CEO Donna Palmieri. She said the youngest person displaced by the fire is a 4-week-old baby. Palmieri suggested donating money to Red Cross Philly rather than clothing or supplies so that the Red Cross can buy exactly what the families need, everything from medication lost in the fire to offsetting costs for lost driver’s licenses. Individual case help will be available beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the Locke Alaine School at 4550 Haverford Avenue.

“Most of the families right now are in pretty good shape,” said Palmieri. “They’re distressed about the loss. They’re concerned about their pets and their belongings.”

8:29 p.m.: School officials announced that West Philadelphia High School and Henry C. Lea Elementary School will be closed on Tuesday. West Philadelphia High School was used as a temporary shelter in the early hours of the fire.

7:40 p.m.: The fire has been contained. A city worker was injured and taken to the hospital, according to fire commissioner Lloyd Ayers.

6:50 p.m.: The fire has spread to three sections of the building along Walnut Street.

Firefighters battle blaze from northwest corner of the Windermere Court Apartments complex at 48th and Walnut Streets. (Photo by West Philly Local)

A five-alarm fire is blazing at the southwest corner of 48th and Walnut Streets at the Windermere Court Apartments, a multiple-section four-story brick building. The fire appears to have begun on the top floor of the far west building but has spread to an adjacent building.

UPDATE: Here is some raw video of the fire shot at about 4 p.m.

Fire officials could not confirm whether anyone was trapped in the building or how the fire began.

Several residents reported that there was no warning when the fire started at about 2:35 p.m. Many said they did not hear a fire alarm.

An evacuation center has been set up for those displaced from the building at the Locke School at 46th and Haverford Avenue.
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