PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Officials are looking into the cause of an early-morning row home fire in the Nicetown-Tioga section of the city that left one person dead and seven others hurt, including a firefighter.
The fire started around 3 a.m. in a three-story row home in the middle of the block on 21st Street near Erie Avenue. The house is painted bright yellow on the outside, but it is now charred black on the inside.
The flames spread, and a few other homes had to be evacuated as well. When firefighters arrived, officials say, they found a man in his 20s dead.
"It's terrible," said a neighbor. "It brings tears to my eyes, because someone lost a life."
Officials say three people had to jump out of a second-story window to get to safety. In all, six neighbors were hurt, including one man in his 30s who was unconscious after his jump. A firefighter alos suffered minor injuries.
The Red Cross helped several others who were displaced.
Assistant Fire Chief Richard Davidson says tragedies like these can be prevented with smoke alarms.
"One on every level, in every room," he said. "It's possible, you know. And have an evacuation plan."
Davidson said it looked like one home affected by the fire did not have working smoke alarms, just one factor in the ongoing investigation.
Philadelphia residents can get a fire alarm installed for free through Philly 311.