LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) - Crews battled a fire that broke out at a home in Lawrence Thursday afternoon and displaced 18 residents.
Firefighters responded to the blaze on Champlain Avenue around 4:30 p.m.
SKY7 HD flew over the scene and captured footage of heavy black smoke billowing into the air.
Luis Pantalon said he drove up to the scene and knew he had to act fast.
“I wasn’t scared for real,” he said.
He and a Lawrence police officer ran up to the third floor to warn a sleeping relative.
Two women were inside and they were able to escape before flames consumed their apartment.
The densely packed neighborhood proved challenging for firefighters.
“We had a little difficulty getting to the hydrants because everybody was trying to get out of our way which actually slowed it down just a little bit,” Fire Chief Brian Moriarty explained.
The cause remains under investigation though investigators believe it ignited on the second floor.
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