Crews Battle 2-Alarm Blaze at Colonade Complex

Firefighters from the Abington, Cheltenham, Rockledge and Jenkintown fire departments fought a blaze at an unoccupied building at the Colonade apartment complex early this morning.

Abington Assistant Fire Marshal John Rohrer said crews responded to the “Carriage House,” which sits between apartment buildings on the Old York Road complex, at about 1:15 a.m.; it took firefighters about two hours to get the blaze under control, but firefighters were still “wetting down” hot spots well after 4 a.m.

Blasts from fire hoses tore up pieces of the red roof. 

Rohrer said the first firefighters on the scene attacked the fire on the first floor, but the fire had quickly spread to the second floor.

The building was unoccupied when the call came in, according to Rohrer, and no one was injured. Also, no one from the adjacent apartment buildings had to be evacuated, he said.

A witness, who said he lives in an apartment complex on nearby Washington Lane, said he came out of his building to see what was happening after he saw large plumes of smoke shortly after 1 a.m.

Rohrer said the building is old and was once part of a mansion that existed prior to the Colonade apartment complex.

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Originally posted Oct. 31 at 5:01 a.m.

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