Demolition work begins on Frankford buildings that caught fire last week

The cause of the blaze at the two commercial properties remains under investigation.

Crews are demolishing the two Frankford commercial buildings that caught fire Friday. Firefighters spent hours fighting the four-alarm blaze. No one was injured.
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice

Two commercial buildings that caught fire Friday in Frankford are being demolished. 

The demolition work began Monday morning on the 1200 block of Adams Avenue, where a four-alarm fire erupted at 5:30 a.m. Friday. Eight nearby buildings remain inaccessible, 6ABC reported.


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About 150 firefighters, including a collapse unit, battled the fire. The buildings were unoccupied at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

During the blaze, 30 to 40 people couldn't return to their homes. Others were told to remain inside and keep their windows shut. Displaced residents were sent to a temporary shelter set up by the Red Cross at Samuel Fells High School; it closed at noon Saturday.  

According to police, the fire hit the first alarm at 5:31 a.m., the second at 5:42 a.m., the third at 5:58 a.m. and the fourth at 6:26 a.m., where it remained until crews got the blaze under control at 8:45 a.m., the Inquirer reported. 

The larger building housed an auto body shop, and the fire spread to multiple vehicles, causing explosion sounds. Smoke was reportedly seen in the area for miles.