Man hailed as hero after helping residents escape North Philadelphia fire

People living in a North Philadelphia neighborhood are calling one man a hero after he jumped into action to warn residents their home was on fire.

A fire broke out Tuesday, June 9 on the 1400 block of North Franklin Street, sending flames and black smoke from the roof of several rowhomes.

Witnesses told NBC10 there were several people inside when the fire started.

Jahrell Bush said he was nearby when he noticed the fire and decided to act.

“I told one of my friends to call 911. But they weren’t coming here quick enough,” Bush said.

Bush said he entered the building and alerted tenants on all three floors that a fire had started on the roof.

“We saw the fire. We didn’t wait for anybody to come through. We got them out. And that was that,” Bush said.

According to Bush, the front door was locked, forcing him to kick it in before going floor to floor to warn residents.

“I kicked in the entrance door. I guess they had a bolt. But the second floor and third floor, they were easy to get in. So we got them out. Brought them down. The lady on the first floor, she came out as we were bringing the people from the second and third floor,” Bush said.

Bush said smoke was beginning to fill the third floor, where one tenant was asleep when he arrived.

Orange warning signs were posted on doors affected by the fire after the blaze.

A man who identified himself as the owner of the three rowhomes told NBC10 that no one was hurt. He said he believes the fire started on the roof but does not know how.

NBC10 reached out to the Philadelphia Fire Department for information, but we have not yet received a response.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.