A firefighter cradled a baby at the scene of a fire after that child was thrown from the second-floor to save her from the flames.
NBC10.com cameras were along the 4900 block of Aspen Street in West Philadelphia as a Philadelphia firefighter carried the 5-month-old baby girl to a waiting ambulance.
Around 2 a.m. Friday, flames began to shoot from the rowhome.
Owen Moore woke up to the smell of smoke coming from the second floor of his home.
“It was so scary… I didn’t know what to do,” said Moore.
Moore's family of six and another resident all managed to escape the flames thanks to the quick actions of Moore -- the girl's uncle -- and another family member.
The family member -- identified by neighbor's as the girl's mother -- jumped out of the rear second-floor window then waited with open arms for Moore to toss the girl down.
"She just kept saying the baby, the baby, started shaking real violently, maybe thought the baby perished," said Denise Skinner, an eyewitness.
Moore described how he saved his young niece.
“When I looked out of there my first instinct was I couldn't run through it… the fire was coming straight at us. So I didn't know what to do. All I knew was I had to get (her) out of there," he said.
Moore's 2-year-old daughter also escaped the blaze.
The baby girl suffered smoke inhalation and is being treated at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Her mother, who suffered burns and cuts, and Moore's daughter were taken to Lankenau Hospital for treatment.
The American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania said that in total they were helping out with shelter, food and clothing for three adults and four kids left homeless by the blaze.
The Moore family believes the fire started in the home's oven. They said a roommate was baking a pizza when they fell asleep. A short time later, the fire erupted.
The Philadelphia Fire Department is continuing its investigation.
Photo Credit: NBC10.com