This archive report was first published on 5 January 2022.
On Wednesday morning, a deadly rowhouse fire in Philadelphia's Fairmount neighborhood left 13 people dead, including seven children. The tragedy unfolded in a rowhouse on the corner of 23rd and Parrish streets, where at least 26 people were inside at the time of the fire.
Survivors of the fire gathered at an elementary school about a block south of the scorched rowhouse, where cries could be heard from inside as a helicopter whirred overhead. A woman, draped in a Salvation Army blanket, was seen embracing another survivor, saying 'It's too hard right now.'
Philadelphia's City Council president, Darrell L. Clarke, revealed that several of the children who died were students at the Bache-Martin School, where survivors gathered. Mr. Clarke represents the Fairmount neighborhood and said his office had been flooded with offers of resources for the victims of the fire.
Shalai Young, a mental health technician, stood nearby, observing the damage. 'When you see so many people lose their lives in one area, that's tragic,' she said. Ms. Young described the neighborhood as 'family oriented' and expressed her desire to help the family and any neighbors displaced by the blaze.
Dozens of firefighters and police officers milled around the rowhouse, with a ladder remaining propped against the building. Footage from local television stations showed large holes in the roof of the building after the fire appeared to have been extinguished.
Mr. Clarke praised the outpouring of support from the community, saying 'It's a tight-knit community. The outpouring of support is encouraging.'
— Joel Wolfram and Neil Vigdor
