PHILADELPHIA — Fire tore through a row house early Monday, killing two young children and two adults, officials said.
The one-alarm blaze broke out at the two-story home in west Philadelphia shortly before 4:45 a.m. and the fire was fully involved when firefighters arrived, Executive Chief Richard Davison said.
A 2-year-old boy, a 4-year-old boy and a 68-year-old man were pronounced dead at a hospital, Davison said. The fourth victim, a 23-year-old woman, was pronounced dead at the scene. The identities and relationships of the victims were not released.
The fire marshal's office was investigating and there was no immediate word on the cause of the blaze, which was declared under control in less than 45 minutes, Davison said. Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said firefighters on the scene did not find any smoke detectors inside the home.
The fire comes a week after a warehouse blaze that claimed the lives of two firefighters. Sixty-year-old Lt. Robert Neary and 25-year-old firefighter Daniel Sweeney were killed a week ago in a building collapse at a nearby furniture store where the warehouse fire had spread in the city's Kensington neighborhood. Two other firefighters were injured. No cause has been determined in that fire. -- (AP)
