PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A man has been arrested and charged in connection with a fire that burned through five homes in Kensington early Friday morning, killing an elderly woman.
People in the neighborhood said they heard screaming around 4:30 a.m. in the middle of the block on Russell Street, just off Kensington Avenue and the El tracks.
When firefighters arrived, they rescued a family that had fled to the roof of a house, who then informed them their mother was still inside.
“They actually walked down to a point over top of this garage... [and] we were able to put ladders up to actually bring them down. So they actually moved themselves out of harm’s way,” said Assistant Fire Chief Charles Walker.
Firefighters then found 66-year-old Evelyn Payne unresponsive in a second-floor bedroom. She was pronounced dead by medics about an hour later.
The fire spread to homes connected to the left and right, causing significant damage and loss.
As of Friday night, 23 people were displaced. At least five people were taken to the hospital.
Officials took a man into custody at the scene. He was later identified as 38-year-old Shadeek McDowell, who is charged with murder, arson, aggravated assault, simple assault and related offenses.
The home where the fire started did not have any working smoke alarms, officials said.