A large house fire in Philadelphia early Wednesday killed 13 people, including seven children, and sent two people to hospitals, fire officials said.

Officials said at a news conference later in the morning that there were four smoke detectors in the building but that none were operating.

Firefighters and police responded to the fire at a three-story rowhouse in the city’s Fairmount neighborhood around 6:40 a.m. and found flames coming from the second-floor windows, fire officials said. The house had been converted into two apartments, police said.

The fire was brought under control after less than an hour. WPVI-TV reported that at least one child was seen taken out on a stretcher.

Television news footage showed ladders propped up against the smoke-blackened front of the house, with all its windows missing. Holes remained in the roof where firefighters had broken through.

"I knew some of those kids -- I used to see them playing on the corner,” said Dannie McGuire, 34, fighting back tears as she and Martin Burgert, 35, stood in the doorway of a home around the corner. They had lived there for a decade, she said, “and some of those kids have lived here as long as us.”

“I can’t picture how more people couldn’t get out -- jumping out a window,” she said.

“Losing so many kids is just devastating,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “Keep these babies in your prayers.”

Share:
More In Culture
The Walk and Talk: Metropolitan Riveters
Digit Murphy, President of the professional women's ice hockey team Metropolitan Riveters, joins Cheddar News' Hena Doba on a walk and talk to talk about how she's re-imagining the hockey experience for fans and players, and why it's critical to invest in women's sports.
Creed III Debut Wallops Competition at the Box Office
Creed III knocked out its competition at the box office this weekend and became the reigning champ of its own franchise, beating out its two predecessors and pulling off the highest ever debut for a sports movie.
Load More