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City workers boarded up the scene of a fatal fire today in Philadelphia. A pregnant mother ran into her burning row house to rescue her toddler this morning but died along with the child when smoke prevented their escape, officials said. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
PHILADELPHIA » A pregnant mother ran back into her burning row house to rescue her toddler this morning but died along with the child when smoke prevented their escape, officials said.
The fire broke out around 4 a.m. in the city’s Fairhill neighborhood.
The woman initially escaped the blaze with other relatives but realized her toddler was missing, Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer said. She ran back inside to try to save the child.
She was found with the child in her arms near a second-floor bedroom doorway after heavy smoke and flames prevented them from getting out, Sawyer said.
The fire’s cause is under investigation, but five space heaters were found throughout the house. The home had no working smoke detectors, according to Executive Chief Clifford Gilliam.
Two adults and four children were taken to a hospital, where they are in stable condition, Gilliam said.
Someone in the house initially tried to extinguish the blaze on his own, Sawyer said.
“Because they were trying to fight the fire, it delayed everyone getting out,” he said.
My deepest ALOHA to their ohana. So sad…
My wife forced me to have several smoke detectors installed.
Do you have a emergency escape plan in case of a fire? If not, you better sleep under the tree.
You always manage to say something insensitive in the saddest situations!
You want coddling or you want the truth? I’m not your Pastor, so I will stick to the facts.
Are you that ignorant or merely stupid?
I can’t imagine not running in after my baby but this is so sad. I guess these really old building go up in flames like a match stick. This just breaks my heart, as a mother. May they both R.I.P.together. Condolences to their Ohana.
aomohoa and kitagirl, it is people like you and your compassionate comments that help me endure such tragedies in life. May you both and those others with touching postings to this story be bless with good fortune all the days of your lives! Mahalo and Aloha!
Wow! Instinctively she did what she did like many others would do. May they both be together forever in heaven. May God Bless.
May I add THREE of them.
Fighting a home or building fire on your own is risky. Having been a victim of a fire that got out of control because the homeowner attempted to fight the blaze on his own, the lesson here is to just vacate the building as fast as you can and call to report the fire. Do not hang around the scene to video the event (that also occurred in my experience). Finally, if you witness a fire and your car is blocking or impeding access to emergency vehicles, move it out of the way – and again, don’t block the streets to take a video!
Did you read the part where they realized a child was missing as still inside? If you were a mother you would do what she did!
His criticism was not directed at the mother.
this makes cholo very sad.