56-year-old grandmother dies days after Philadelphia arson

6abc Digital Staff Image
Thursday, June 3, 2021
Grandmother dies days after Philadelphia arson
A 56-year-old Philadelphia grandmother has died after being injured in an arson one week earlier.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A 56-year-old grandmother has died after an arson in Philadelphia last week.

Relatives tell Action News that Maureen Davis succumbed to her injuries suffered in a rowhome fire on the 2200 block of Kennedy Street.

The fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. last Wednesday. Officials said they were investigating the fire as an act of arson.

Davis' grandchildren, 13-year-old Amera Hamilton and 10-year-old Brian Harris Jr., were also hurt in the fire.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, they saw the two children waving from a second-floor window.

"Their arms were hanging out the window and they were waving to the firefighters," according to Fire Deputy Chief Vincent Mulray.

Firefighters took both children down by using a ladder. They were taken to the hospital in stable condition.

As firefighters searched the home, they found Davis on the second floor and rushed her outside.

Davis was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Her family told Action News that she passed close to a week after the fire.

The children's mother, Karrine Mahaffey, said she was not home at the time because she was at the police station filing a complaint against an abusive ex-boyfriend who had threatened her about an hour before the fire ignited.

Three people were rescued Wednesday morning from a fire in Philadelphia's Bridesburg section.

A neighbor, who is a family member, tried to go in and help during the fire. She received minor injuries.

The fire spread to a neighboring home, displacing three people.