Family killed in North Philadelphia fire

February 27, 2011

Friends and family members gathered in the neighborhood throughout the day to pay their respects and to see the scene for themselves.

The young couple, who were about to get married, along with their baby girl were all killed in the fire this morning.

Just after 3:00 Sunday morning, a patrol officer spotted smoke billowing from a neighboring row home and called for help.

Firefighters arrived and saw flames spreading through 2706 Seltzer Street. They then found 26-year-old Curtis Singleton downstairs. His 25-year-old wife-to-be Nyasha Vicks and their 6-month-old baby girl Pahyje Singleton were discovered upstairs.

Crews pulled all three of them from the house and rushed them to Temple University Hospital where all three were pronounced dead.

"She was a good mother, she was a good sister, a good sister, a good everything, her baby was just 6 months," relative Tyenisha Leach said.

Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers says an early investigation revealed the fire seemed to have started in the victims' kitchen.

Neighbors say they hardly got a chance to meet the young family who just moved in on Valentine's Day.

"When he pulled the gentleman out the door, the gentleman was on fire," said neighbor Peaches McLeod.

What sparked the fire is still under investigation, but firefighters say the home did not have working smoke detectors. There were two smoke detectors in their home, however, one had no batteries and the other had a dead battery.

Because of smoke and water damage, two other homes have been evacuated. Those families, a total of six people, are now being helped out by the Red Cross.

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