PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia police said Monday night that two elderly people have died, and a child and woman have both been taken to the hospital after several rowhouses caught fire in West Philadelphia.
The fire happened at about 5:25 p.m. Monday on West Chestnut Street between 58th and 59th Streets.
Rescuers found an elderly woman in a rear second floor bedroom, while discovering an elderly man on the first floor of a home. Both were pronounced dead just after 7 p.m., according to police.
"The whole front of the house is literally falling. It's not even a house anymore really," said Joshua Rush, who lives across the street.
"It's just all torn, broken up, burned. It smells like smoke."
Authorities said that an 11-year-old boy and a 28-year-old woman both suffered smoke inhalation, while the boy was also cut in the left foot. They were each taken to Jefferson University Hospital and placed in stable condition while receiving treatment.
"It was flames busting out the window. It was just a big gulf of fire. When I came out the door, just seeing was flames coming out the windows. It spread to other houses. Then after that, you saw firefighters come in and everything, everybody rushing," a witness said.
"There were people out here trying to hurry up and get the other people out. There was one person running down the alleyway. They said it was so bad in the back, there was nothing they could do."
There was no initial word on the cause of the fire or the total extent of the damage. The Red Cross came to the scene to assist fire victims.
Neighbors said that after the firefighting efforts, they had no water after it flooded the streets, and they were told it may not return into Tuesday morning.
