JERSEY SHORE -Tenants of an apartment building escaped with their lives Tuesday night, when flames ripped through the multi-story building along Allegheny Street.
In all, eight people from three families were left homeless after the fire extensively damaged the building next to the Tiadaghton Inn.
One man was rescued by a neighbor, while others fled the flames.
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Two firefighters prepare to hose down the flames coming from the porch roof.
"As soon as I got down to the street I saw flames rolling out of the building up top," Malinda Davenport said, holding her 5-year-old son, Coltin, wrapped in a blanket and wearing only his underwear.
The young mother said she was about to give Coltin a bath when he told his mom he smelled smoke.
The boy's father, Doug Bertin, went out onto the back porch to investigate and saw smoke coming from an apartment across from theirs on the second floor of the building at 1122 Allegheny St.
It was then Bertin said he heard one of the tenants, his neighbor, Joseph Rose, yelling for help.
"I couldn't even see him ... that's how black it was in his apartment. I heard Joey's voice. 'Help, I can't see. I can't see.' I reached in through a window, felt something and just pulled it out. It was him," Bertin, 26, said.
From the porch, the two men safely went through Bertin's apartment and down a set of stairs to the street below, where Bertin's son and his mother were standing.
Mother and son also had rescued the family's two dogs.
According to Bertin, Rose was the only other person at home at the time of the fire.
Rose lives with his parents, Terry and Peggy Rose, but they were not home. However, Rose's girlfriend, and her baby were visiting, though it appears they also were not home at the time.
Police and firefighters checked the bottom apartment but found no one at home downstairs.
Volunteers from six fire companies responded, including both Jersey Shore companies, Nippenose Valley and Dunnstown.
Rose was taken to Jersey Shore Hospital for treatment. It was unclear if there were any others injured.
Other family members intend to stay with friends.
Tiadaghton Valley Regional Police Patrolman Marlin Angelo, one of the first to reach the scene, said flames were shooting out of the front window of the Rose family apartment.
"Fire was rolling out and going up the side the building," the officer said.
A window on the west side suddenly blew out, nearly covering Angelo with shattered glass.
Volunteer firefighters had the bulk of the fire knocked down in about 15 minutes.
An investigation into the cause is underway.
(Sun-Gazette reporter Philip Holmes contributed to this story.)
