Woman, child dead after fire breaks out in Philadelphia rowhome; 2 others severely burned

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A massive house fire in Philadelphia's Summerdale section left a woman and child dead on Saturday.

The flames broke out just after 7:30 a.m. on the 900 block of Granite Street.

The fire department quickly responded to the fire. When they arrived on the scene, officials said the first floor was already engulfed in flames.

Authorities say six people were inside the residence at the time of the fire.

In a press briefing, Assistant Fire Chief Rob Wilkins told Action News that a 31-year-old woman and an 8-year-old girl were found dead inside a second-floor bedroom.

A 32-year-old man and a 9-year-old boy were able to escape the home. They were taken to nearby hospitals with third-degree burns and are in critical condition.

A neighbor told Action News her father rushed over to help once they noticed the smoke and blaze.

"He said it was a big ball of smoke. So when he saw the guy and the little boy running down the stairs, they fell down. So he grabbed them and pushed them away," recalled Jahairah Castro. "He was able to save two, as much he wanted to save all of them."

In a security video, the man can be seen carrying the young boy away from the burning home. He then sits the child on a set of steps across the street.

Additionally, a 28-year-old man suffered minor burns to his hand and another unknown man fled the scene.

Neighbors in the area said they could hear the family pleading for help as the blaze broke out.

"I didn't see my neighbors, I started banging on the door, 'Hey let's go! Fire! You guys have to get out,'" recalled Genesis Martinez from Summerdale, recalling how he had tried to help. "We're all a close-knit family on this block. We all look out for one another -- my heart and prayers go out to the family."

The fire also displaced a family inside an adjacent rowhome. Those occupants were able to escape with no injuries.

Action News learned the first responder to arrive at the scene was an off-duty police officer. He said he saw the flames as he was driving into work, so he pulled over to help.

"Me and the baby we came out the front of the house -- the cops pulled us out. There was so much blaze, the blaze almost hit me and the baby," recalled neighbor Sade Williams of the experience.

Officials say there were no working fire alarms inside the initial home.

"Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms - you got to have them," noted Jaimie Dankanich, a neighbor.

"It's sad. Especially this time of year, it's unexpected, not routine. Not historically something we deal with in the summer months," noted Wilkins.

This is the second deadly fire in two days in Philadelphia. The recent tragedies have left residents grieving.

"Just saying hi to them, watching the kids play outside, and the little girl," Dankanich said, reminiscing on the family before the fatal fire. "It's very sad how just like that, your life can be over."

The cause remains under investigation.