PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A woman was killed in a rowhome fire in North Philadelphia early Thursday morning.
The fire started in a rowhome in the middle of the 6200 block of Ogontz Avenue near Godfrey Avenue around 4:40 a.m. Assistant Fire Chief Gerald Boyle said crews went inside and pulled the woman out as heavy flames tore through the house.
“Fire was raging on the first floor when they went in with hose lines to extinguish it and separate her from the fire,” Boyle said.
The woman, who was the only occupant, was removed from the house, and crews tried to revive her, but she died at the scene.
Jerry Adams, who lives across the street, said he often spoke with her.
“She was a nice lady. Stayed to herself a lot, but she was always out front in her garden area that she kept up really nice. It’s just sad, though,” he said.
Her name has not been released. She may have been in her 60s.
It is unclear whether the home had working smoke alarms, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.