House 'a total loss' after fire | News, Sports, Jobs

Altoona City firefighters are battling a house fire at 127 Seventh Avenue Friday afternoon. It took crews about 45 minutes to bring the fire under control, authorities said. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

A home on Seventh Avenue was declared a total loss after a fire tore through the structure Friday afternoon, according to Altoona Fire Chief Adam Free.

Free said the Altoona Fire Department received a call about a house fire with possible occupant entrapment around 3:45 p.m., and the first truck arrived on scene a few minutes later.

It took about 45 minutes to bring the fire under control, said Free, who saw firefighters enter the burning structure to search for trapped residents.

The fire started at the rear of the structure, before spreading upward along the back wall to the attic, he said.

Six people who lived in the two-story house escaped unharmed, Free said, and were assisted by the local Red Cross chapter.

The scale of the fire necessitated a second alarm call, he said, which brought 10 additional firefighters to the scene to assist the initial team. AMED was also dispatched to the Seventh Avenue property to assist with potential injuries.

One firefighter was taken to UPMC Altoona for evaluation, with no other injuries reported, Free said.

According to Free, firefighters are investigating the cause of the fire.

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.