13 dead, including seven children, in Philadelphia row house fire

At least 13 people are dead, including seven children, and two are injured following a house fire in Philadelphia, according to multiple reports.

There were 18 people living on the second floor of the apartment building complex, according to a Philadelphia Fire Department spokesman. 

The fire broke out around 6:40 a.m. on Wednesday and firefighters arrived at the scene to see heavy flames engulfing the buildings, local ABC affiliate WPVI reported.

It took about 50 minutes for firefighters to get the blaze at the homes owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority under control, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

The three-story building was converted into two apartment complexes, and the fire came from the second floor, the Inquirer reported, citing police.

The ages of the victims and the precise number of casualties have yet to be released; however, Philadelphia Fire Department First Deputy Commissioner Craig Murphy said seven children died in the fire, which he called a “dynamic” number, the Inquirer reported.

The Philadelphia Fire Department held a press briefing with Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney (D) on Wednesday morning. 

A fire department spokesman said that there were six smoke detectors in the building, installed in 2020, but none of them went off during the fire.

The spokesman said that the fire was not considered suspicious at the time, but “all hands were on deck” to investigate.

https://t.co/fzj3TI3ttF

— Philadelphia Fire (@PhillyFireDept) January 5, 2022

A neighbor, Bill Richards, said he was shaken awake by screams coming down the street and called the fire “devastating and upsetting.”

“About a quarter of 7, I heard a woman yelling ‘Oh my god, oh my god,’” Richards said, according to the Inquirer. 

The Philadelphia Fire Department noted that it will provide further updates as they are available.