A Lancaster city man was seriously injured Saturday morning as he helped his neighbors escape from their burning building, officials reported.

The three-story brick structure at 518 N. Queen St., used for three apartments, sustained heavy damage in the three-alarm blaze, firefighters said.

Philip Holt, the first-floor tenant, tried to the battle the flames himself before waking his upstairs neighbors and helping them outside, officials said.

Holt, 63, and three other occupants escaped the fire, officials said.

Holt was initially taken to Lancaster General Hospital, then transferred to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, near Philadelphia. Officials said he took in a lot of smoke, but had no visible burns.

No one else was injured.

The three other displaced occupants are believed to be staying with friends or family.

Preliminary investigations revealed a space heater as the cause; a damage estimate wasn't immediately available.

The man called 9-1-1 just after 7 a.m., according to officials.

"There was smoke everywhere. It was just everywhere!" one neighbor said as crews investigated a cause. Another neighbor said a space heater was being used at the time of the fire.

The 500 block of North Queen Street and surrounding blocks are closed.

bhambright@lnpnews.com