Fire damaged windows are seen at the scene of a deadly row house fire, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022, in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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.”
Deena LaMarque Piquion, Chief Marketing Officer at Xerox, joins ChedHER to discuss how women can break the glass ceiling in the workplace, and why and how women should stop saying 'sorry' so often.
Marylyn Harris, President of Harrland Healthcare Consulting, joins ChedHER to discuss how her experience in the military prepared her for a cybersecurity career, advice to pivot in your career, and how she's paving the way for women of color in the industry
Amanda Carlson Phillips, Senior Vice President of Exos' performance team, joins ChedHER to discuss how wellness programs can fight burnout, how businesses can better support women leaders and teammates in order to close the exhaustion gap.
President Biden heads to Poland, Ginni Thomas' texts to overthrow the 2020 election, and the founder of .gifs has passed away. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Friday. March 25, 2022.
Students are finally back in the classroom, but how are their grades holding up? A recent study compared the test results from students across the country to see how the return to in-person classes is affecting students' learning. Gene Kerns, vice president and academic officer of Renaissance Learning, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
