Three young children were left home alone to fend for themselves while smoke poured out of a second story window in the city's Brewerytown neighborhood Thursday night.

Officials say they responded to reports of a fire at the home on the 1700-block of N. Newkirk Street just before 7 p.m. Thursday. Once there, they discovered the children, 2, 4 and 9, after breaking a window and pulling them out.

The children were home alone at the time, according to police. Their rescue was caught on cell phone video by a neighbor.

All three kids were taken to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where they are in stable condition.

This story is developing. Check back with NBC10.com for more details.

A Main Line medic station went up in flames overnight leaving multiple ambulances damaged.

Two people in the building called 911 after flames broke out around 2:15 a.m. Friday at the Volunteer Medical Service Corps of Lower Merion and Narberth Ambulance - Medic 313 station along Sibley Avenue in Ardmore, Pa.

The cause of the blaze that left five ambulances damaged -- one nearly completely gutted – and an evacuation bus waterlogged wasn’t immediately clear. It did appear that the fire began in the rear of the gutted vehicle, according to investigators.

“No other vehicles are burned up but we have heavy smoke damage and water damage in the bay area and then there’s smoke damage throughout the building,” said Lower Merion Fire Department Chief Chas McGarvey.

The damage could have been worse if not for the sprinkler system installed at the station

“(The fire) set the sprinkler system off, which contained it to that area and saved it from going any further,” said McGarvey.

Fire crews could be seen pushing water out of the ambulance garage once the flames were extinguished.

McGarvey said vehicles would need to be thoroughly cleaned and inspected before being put back into use.

The volunteer ambulance unit serves parts of Montgomery County including Lower Merion, Conshohocken and West Conshohocken, according to its website.

The EMS company hoped to bring in rental vehicles so that they could continue service.

One building collapsed and another will have to be demolished after a five-alarm blaze tore through a block in Jersey City overnight, firefighters say.

Crews responded to the fire at a produce store on Central Avenue shortly before 12:30 a.m. Friday, according to the Jersey City Fire Department. When they arrived, they found heavy flames inside the store that had spread to other floors. The building eventually collapsed, along with about two-thirds of a neighboring structure that fire had spread to. That building will have to be demolished

The fire extended into a convenience store, but crews were able to bring the flames under control before that building was seriously damaged, firefighters say.

None of the residents living in the buildings were hurt, according to the Jersey City Fire Department. Two families were displaced by the blaze. 

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

The second most important ingredient in your next margarita might just be missing.

The price of limes has risen approximately 500 percent in recent weeks — from around $20 for a case to more than $100 as of this week, according to a produce buyer for Hardie's Fruit and Vegetable Co. The Dallas-based produce distributor supplies limes for major chain restaurants like Red Lobster and Olive Garden.

"This is something we've never seen for any fruit or vegetable," said a buyer for Hardie's, who did not want to be identified.

There has already been a trickle-down effect for the consumer.

On Tuesday, San Antonio-based Tex-Mex chain Taco Cabana tweeted the following:

A check of four different Taco Cabana locations Wednesday — one each in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington and Irving — revealed that the policy is already in effect.

The primary culprit: the weather.

The majority of the limes consumed in Texas and the rest of the United States are grown in Mexico. Too much rain in the growing region of Michoacán this season has led to a reduced lime crop, according to multiple reports.

Additionally, a disease contributed to the shortage of limes, and according to the LA Times that same bug may be headed to California.

In addition to those shortages, Mexican drug cartels — including the Knights Templar — operate in the same growing region, making it difficult for lime growers to conduct their business, according to a report from NPR.

As for that lime in your margarita, it will still be there at Joe T. Garcia's in Fort Worth. But perhaps not for long.

"It just won't be on there automatically. You know if people request it we'll serve it," said owner Joe Lancarte. "I'm still gonna buy limes. I'm just not gonna put them on every single glass, probably, if it gets to that point."

Lancarte said he paid $2,200 for 20 cases of limes on Thursday. Those limes will last through the weekend, he said, and would have cost one-fifth of that amount just three weeks ago. 

A suspicious package caused an area of Wilmington, Del. to be closed off this morning.

The package was discovered by a tip caller around 6 a.m. at W 4th and N Adams Streets, according to Wilmington Police.

The area is not far from where Iinterstate-95 cuts through the city.

The caller told police that a brown suitcase was left at the northwest corner of the intersection.

Police closed Adams Street at W. 2nd Street as the bomb squad investigated. W 4th Street remained open throughout the investigation.

The bomb squad eventually discovered that nothing was in the suitcase and after three hours or so the road was reopened.

Police didn't say who left the suitcase on the corner. 

A group of women and lawyers are calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Johnson & Johnson's alleged destruction of documents related to pelvic mesh implants that some women say gave them injuries.

U.S. District Court Judge Cheryl Eifert in West Virginia concluded that J&J "destroyed thousands of documents regarding development of its pelvic mesh implants, but said there was no proof that was done intentionally," according to the  Associated Press.

But the Corporate Action Network isn't buying it.

“We view Johnson & Johnson’s dismissal of the thousands of documents destroyed as a slap in the face to every woman suffering,” said Corporate Action Network spokeswoman Levana Layendecker. “Johnson & Johnson needs to be held accountable as part of a larger war on women that stretches from Congress to the corporate boardroom. These women don’t need evasive responses by Johnson & Johnson’s executives, they need help, now.” Read more about this story on PBJ.com.

For more breaking business news go to PBJ.com

A southeastern Pennsylvania man was arrested after he allegedly gave heroin to his teenage sister so that she could learn the horrors of the drug.

Back on Jan. 27, police were called to Simon Youth Foundation Rose Tree Media Academy high school in Media, Delaware County. When they arrived, they found a 14-year-old girl who they say was high on heroin.

The incident sparked an investigation which led police to the girl’s brother, Matthew Robbins. Robbins, 32, allegedly confessed to police that he had provided heroin for his sister at least four times over the past two months.

"...He wanted to be able to control how much heroin she had so that she would not overdose," read a police affidavit. " Because he was an addict, he wanted her to try it so that she knew how bad it was and that she would hopefully stay away from it."

Last week, police arrested Robbins and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of minors and recklessly endangering another person, according to court records.

Online court records don't list an attorney for Robbins who remained in Delaware County Prison unable to post 10 percent of $20,000 bail.

He faces a preliminary hearing next week.

The Robbins siblings' mother Eve Robbins said she had no knowledge of her daughter's heroin use.

"I want everyone here to understand, I don't care where you are, this drug is available to everyone and these kids, you have no idea what they're doing," said Eve Robbins.

Robbins said her son began using heroin to cope with a car crash and the death of a close friend.

She says she loves her children "unconditionally" but makes no excuses for them.

The invitation to Pope Francis to come to Philadelphia was extended, in person, Wednesday morning by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and other Philly delegates, including Gov. Tom Corbett.

After a whirlwind trip to Rome and the Vatican, Nutter was back in Philly Friday and talking about his experience. 

Nutter called the meeting a "productive" success during a speech in City Hall Friday afternoon.

Earlier he also spoke glowing of his meeting with the pontiff.

"We were very well received," Nutter said. "He was very gracious. He asked me to pray for him. I said 'yes.' I asked him to pray from me."

Nutter and other leaders also took their meeting as a chance to give Pope Francis a few gifts from the City of Brotherly Love.

"We gave his Holiness a St. Joe's Prep Jersey," said Nutter. "There are jerseys from all five major sports teams, PHL pins, a book about Philadelphia's history and letters from all the juniors at St. Joe's Prep who will be seniors next year, asking the pope to come."

Whether Pope Francis will make his way to Philadelphia for next year's World Meeting of Families remains to be seen. But, should he choose to attend, at least he'll have plenty of Philly gear to wear.

Parents and kids in South Jersey were put on alert Friday after a man drove up to a middle school student and repeatedly offered her a ride.

According to Gloucester Township Police, the man was behind the wheel of a maroon or red four-door sedan with tinted windows Friday morning around 7:40 when he drove up a girl as she walked along Mullen Drive in the Cobblestone Development off Sicklerville Road.

The girl told investigators that the man partially rolled down his window and repeatedly asked if she wanted a ride.

The girl responded by running a couple of block to Ann A. Mullen Middle School, according to police.

Police said they didn’t have any further description of the driver or his car.

Anyone who has information about the incident is asked to contact Gloucester Township Police Investigations Bureau Juvenile Unit at 856-228-4500, or the Gloucester Township Police Anonymous Tip Line at 856-842-5560, or by email.

After a tumultuous off-season, the Philadelphia Eagles parted ways with popular Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson Friday.

"After careful consideration this offseason, Eagles decide to part ways with DeSean Jackson, the team tweeted. "The team informed him of his release today."

By releasing, rather than trading the 27-year-old, the Eagles get nothing in return for their leading receiver from last season.

Jackson, a second round pick of the Eagles in the 2008 NFL Draft, recorded 356 catches for 6,117 yards in his six seasons in Philly.

In his six seasons with the Birds, D-Jax became one of the most popular Eagles with No. 10 jerseys popping up around Lincoln Financial Field. His biggest highlight however happened against the Giants when he returned a punt to win the second "Miracle at the Meadowlands."

After his release, Jackson didn't mention it directly. Instead he posted a photo of himself running while wearing a "Talent" T-shirt.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE on the possible reasons for the release from our partners at CSNPhilly. 

Police in Montgomery County say they've identified one of the men they say stalked an elderly couple as they made multiple stops on their way home from work last year before he and two other men beat the man with a hammer while robbing his wife.

Whitpain Township Police say that the unidentified couple was unloading their car after arriving home along Wyndrise Drive just before 11 p.m. on October 16, 2013 when three men, one of them 24-year-old Sean Favors, attacked the man while covering their faces with t-shirts.

One of the attackers struck the 77-year-old man over the head with a hammer multiple times leaving him badly hurt, according to investigators.

The attackers then dragged the man inside and separated him from his 74-year-old wife. A second man then began beating the woman while demanding money.

The wife pleaded for the beating to stop and told the attackers she would give them money kept inside the home.

The woman handed over an undisclosed amount of money. The attackers then fled the scene after the woman set off an audible burglar alarm.

The wife was treated at the scene while her husband remained hospitalized Tuesday morning in stable condition.

Investigators determined that the couple was trailed from their business in Philadelphia after closing shop for the day. The same man was captured on surveillance video at three separate stops the couple made on their way home.

Police say that man was Sean Favors. They believe that the suspect is hiding somewhere in Philadelphia. Favors is described as 6'1" with a thin build weighing about 170 pounds. His last known address is 819 W. Lindley Street, Philadelphia.

Once taken into custody, he will be charged with robbery, aggravated assault and other offenses.

Specific descriptions weren’t made available of the other two men.

Anyone who has any information on Favors' whereabouts is asked to contact the Whitpain Township Police Detective Division at 610-279-9033.

Carvin "Ransum" Haggins is a two-time Grammy Award-winning writer and producer who's collaborated with artists ranging from Will Smith, Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild, to Justin Timberlake, Patti LaBelle, and Chris Brown. The multi-platinum songwriter has received 21 Grammy award nominations and 10 ASCAP writer awards.

In 2011, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) named Haggins and his musical partner Ivan “Orthodox” Barias as Creative Ambassadors for the city's Philly 360° campaign.

Most importantly, Haggins is a proud native of Philadelphia.

We talked with Haggins about his fondest Philly memories and about how he plans to change the negative messages being propelled by the music industry, through activism and philanthropy.

What part of Philadelphia did you grow up in?

Sort of all over, really. I lived in North Philly, "the badlands," and on the east side of Somerville in East Oak Lane; and I graduated from Martin Luther King High School as an honors student.

So you're a kid growing up in North Philly. Did you know that you would one day become a producer to the stars?

Growing up, I thought I was gonna be the greatest rapper that ever lived on the planet. But then the music industry started changing and rap music started talking about a life I didn't live and didn't want to live. I think it was maybe when I was around 19 or 20 that I decided that I wanted to do something different and started thinking of other ways to use my talent.

What is your fondest childhood memory in Philly?

There is a place downtown; it was the first Ben Franklin Museum. As a kid, I went there on a school trip. And I just remember we went to this place, and it was great. It showed all of the inventions of Benjamin Franklin. I remember I went back there on my own and got a chance to watch the Ben Franklin movie. I think that was one of my fondest moments. And I remember thinking I wanted to go down in history just like that; like he did.

Where do you get your inspiration for writing and creating music?

Everything that you've heard is from life experience. It's all true. When I work with an artists I will look to see how their life is and talk to them about their life. Everything you're hearing is a true emotion and that is usually an emotion that a lot of people can relate to, regardless of their situation.

You were nominated for a lot of Grammy awards before you actually scored a win. How did it feel to finally win a Grammy?

What's amazing is that you kind of feel the same way. I guess my reward and my excitement is not even about the trophy, it's about being able to bump into someone on the street and they say the song that you wrote changed my life. That’s the biggest trophy you could ever receive. A statue means nothing. If I coud save a life with my music, you can keep the statue.

What is the next big goal you hope to accomplish?

I want my name to transform from songwriter/producer to philanthropist. I'm working with LeSean McCoy to start a school called Creative Minds. So, we are working on putting a school together and hopefully, in 2015, we should have it all up and running. The school will be in Harrisburg. We want to have it in every major city, but Harrisburg was the first to receive us. That’s kind of what I'm most excited about but the main focus now is just to give back and find a way to make things better. On June 7th, I've also put together a protest against radio for the obscenities in the music because the music now is just so full of debochery. So I'm working with activist and philantropists Detrick and Dana Clark and we’re putting together a protest called Rage Against the Rachet. So, we’re asking the community tio come out and support the protest because the music is so bad that it's corrupting the minds of our children.

Do you have any new music projects on the horizon?

The great thing is that we have a record company now called Ethical Music Entertainment and an artist named BriaMarie who is an R&B artist, but she is a Christian. So, she makes good, clean family music and that’s the mantra of our company. This is family music, like back in the day. We’re looking for artists, we have a video division, a promotion division, and of course a songwriting and production division, and the goal is to create a hub for all people who feel like they don’t want to compromise their beliefs in order to do what they love to do and make music.

One of the things you’re known for is recognizing and fostering local talent. Is this something you plan to continue to do in the future?

Philly, this is home. So, whenever I can help anyone from home, I'm all for helping. But we've also worked with artists from all over the world as well. So, I'm open to work with anyone who’s talented and that chooses to have morals and integrity in their music.

Who are your role models?

Jesus, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Kenny Gamble & Huff, and Barry Gordy. And it's not even about an emulation of what they’ve done, it’s a perspective. It's looking at how they saw the world and how they chose a different perspective from the norm, and because of the perspective it gave them a whole different outcome for what they chose to do. In all of those great minds is a perspective that thinks so far from the box that there wasn't even a box to see anymore. That's the type of perspective I want to have.

What advice do you have for up-and-coming musicians in Philadelphia?

One thing I was taught is to create music because you love it and money will come after. Don’t pursue it to get rich. It might be a long time before you get rich. Love what you do and do what you love, and you’ll find success.

Eagles fans were rocked Friday after reports surfaced that one of the team's star players -- DeSean Jackson -- had potential gang ties, followed minutes later by the team's announcement that the wide receiver had been cut from the team.

Jackson issued a statement denying the allegations that he is associated with anyone involved in criminal activity and thanking the Eagles organization for his time with the team.

"I would like to make it very clear that I am not and never have been part of any gang," Jackson said in a statement. "I am not a gang member and to speculate and assume that I am involved in such activity off the field is reckless and irresponsible. I work very hard on and off the field and I am a good person with good values."

"It is unfortunate that I now have to defend myself and my intentions," his statement continues. "These reports are irresponsible and just not true."

While the three time Pro Bowler fights the allegations and determines if he can continue his football career with another organization, Dirty Birds fans took to social media to express their shock and frustration with the Eagles' decision to release the team's leading receiver.