Fire destroyed an apartment building in Schuylkill County Thursday morning and now investigators are calling it arson.
No one lived in the building but the blaze rattled some nerves.
The intense fire in Tamaqua broke out just before dawn and all but destroyed the building in the 100 block of Orwigsburg Street .
Hours later a state police fire marshal and firefighters went through apartment building, looking for a cause.
Firefighters were able to save the the occupied home next door to where the fire started.
"These firemen, these volunteers, they are heroes. They did an awesome job, excellent! My parents' home is here because of them," said Mary Ann Deeble. Her elderly mother was in the home next door to the fire. Deeble and her husband are thankful.
"They physically carried my mother-in-law out the back, the back walkway to get her to safety," said Daniel Deeble. "She's shaken but she's okay."
There are other heroes who tried to wake neighbors closest to the blaze.
"I seen flames coming out the top windows, so I ran up the street screaming and I went to the Hufflingers next door to get them out too," said neighbor Arlene Yost.
Smoke damage hit several of the homes closest to the fire.
"Since I've been here the smoke is in the house and my chest is a little bit tighter than it normally is. Other than that it kind of stinks," said Jonathon Fortin of Tamaqua.
Several vehicles parked in front of the building were damaged. One of the owners isn't surprised by the fire in the empty building.
"When I was little there was a dilapidated house across the street and the same thing happened. It caught fire and they had to take it down," said Jason Jones.
Neighbors hope the burned-out building will be taken down sooner than later.
No one lived in the building but the blaze rattled some nerves.
The intense fire in Tamaqua broke out just before dawn and all but destroyed the building in the 100 block of Orwigsburg Street .
Hours later a state police fire marshal and firefighters went through apartment building, looking for a cause.
Firefighters were able to save the the occupied home next door to where the fire started.
"These firemen, these volunteers, they are heroes. They did an awesome job, excellent! My parents' home is here because of them," said Mary Ann Deeble. Her elderly mother was in the home next door to the fire. Deeble and her husband are thankful.
"They physically carried my mother-in-law out the back, the back walkway to get her to safety," said Daniel Deeble. "She's shaken but she's okay."
There are other heroes who tried to wake neighbors closest to the blaze.
"I seen flames coming out the top windows, so I ran up the street screaming and I went to the Hufflingers next door to get them out too," said neighbor Arlene Yost.
Smoke damage hit several of the homes closest to the fire.
"Since I've been here the smoke is in the house and my chest is a little bit tighter than it normally is. Other than that it kind of stinks," said Jonathon Fortin of Tamaqua.
Several vehicles parked in front of the building were damaged. One of the owners isn't surprised by the fire in the empty building.
"When I was little there was a dilapidated house across the street and the same thing happened. It caught fire and they had to take it down," said Jason Jones.
Neighbors hope the burned-out building will be taken down sooner than later.
