Four Erie residents are seeking assistance from the American Red Cross after a fire displaced them from their home Monday afternoon.
The chief fire inspector of the Erie Fire Department said efforts taken by residents of the home made matters easier for extinguishing the fire.
Around 1 p.m. on Monday, Erie fire crews responded to calls of a fire that started on the second floor in the back of a residence in the 500 block of East 9th Street, according to the chief fire inspector of the Erie Fire Department.
He said four people were present during the fire as two people noticed the back of the home filling up with smoke.
The chief fire inspector also said utilities were shut off as a result of the damage and that the four people living on the second floor are now seeking assistance from the American Red Cross as the tenants on the first floor will be able to relocate with family members or friends.
He added that efforts taken by members of the home helped control the fire so it could be extinguished in a timely manner.
“I believe one of them closed the back door to the apartment that was in the back, which kept the fire in check in that area. By them closing that door, it kept it from spreading to the rest of the apartment, which was good on our part because it helped us fight the fire, and it helped it not spread throughout the rest of the building,” said Chief Fire Inspector Donald Sauer, Erie Fire Department.
Sauer added that all second-level tenants were able to escape and there are no reported injuries.