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Naval Home Struck by Fire AGAIN
By Ann Hoskins-Brown
Wednesday, 07/16/03
(1058398872003)
Well you know that old adage: if at first you don't succeed...
At 4:11 this afternoon the roof of the Naval Home was on fire again. This time it was called in quickly and according to Jim Campbell, a historical architectural consultant working for Toll Brothers, damage was minimal and was limited to areas already approved for demolition. [7/19/03 Webmaster's note: two sources disagree with Campbell's optimistic assessment. They say damage from the new fire was not limited to areas already slated for demolition, but included one undamaged roof bay as well.]
However, for those of us who got there in time to witness the orange flames shooting out of the roof, it was definitely a deja vu moment. This time the flames were coming from the south end of the building in what seems to be one of the only roof areas undamaged by the original fire.
Preliminary assessments by the Philadelphia Fire Department point to carelessness on the part of construction workers as the cause of the blaze. Their initial assessment is that a spark from construction earlier in the day smoldered unnoticed until it ignited after workers left the site. A full investigation has not yet been completed. City officials were quick on the scene including Kathleen Murray representing Council President Verna and the City's "Housing Czar," Kevin Hanna. Several representatives from Toll Brothers also arrived quickly to begin inspecting the damage.
Ann Hoskins-Brown is a long time resident of Southwest Center City.
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