Firefighters rescued two people from a fire in a “vacant” building in the Portland neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, according to a news report.
Firefighters were on a medical call and spotted the flames from the Tuesday morning fire at 26th Street and Griffiths Avenue, according to WDRB.
Crews encountered heavy fire and smoke coming from the abandoned building. Operating in frigid conditions, firefighters rescued one person from the first floor and a second victim from above the porch, Chief Brian O’Neill of the Louisville Division of Fire told reporters.
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No injuries were reported.
The people appeared to be squatting in the home, the report suggested. As extremely cold conditions struck a large swath of the country, concerns over squatters and fire risks were heightened in many communities. In Syracuse, New York, approximately 20 fires over the course of 2023 were believed to have been started by squatters who sought refuge in abandoned buildings. Among other incidents late last year, Atlanta firefighters responded to a fire in a well-known abandoned apartment building, and alternately a fire in a homeless encampment under a bridge damaged the crossing and forced its closure.
