Strawberry Mansion fire that killed 2 children, pregnant mother was intentionally set: Officials
Officials tell Action News that the pregnant woman is the mother of the two children who died.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A rowhome fire that claimed the lives of two children and their pregnant mother in Philadelphia's Strawberry Mansion neighborhood on Friday was intentionally set, according to officials.
The children who died were both 6 years old. The woman who died was 31 years old and was seven months pregnant, according to police.
Police say a man was taken in for questioning in connection with the fire, though it's unclear if he's facing any charges.
The fire erupted around 4:50 a.m. in the 2500 block of N. Corlies Street.
Officials said a 55-year-old woman jumped from the 2nd-story window while holding her great-niece. She was rushed to Temple Hospital's trauma center in stable condition.
Fire officials say the child she was holding, a 2-year-old, is hospitalized in stable condition.
The woman who died was found on the second-floor, middle bedroom of the home. She has not yet been identified.
Officials say this row home went up in flames very fast and that it left the second floor heavily damaged.
"I can say that there were working smoke alarms in this dwelling at the time," said Deputy Commissioner Carl Randolph, with the Philadelphia Fire Department.
Even with a warning, the people inside couldn't get out fast enough.
A woman named Chyna, who declined to give her last name, said she lives in the home but was away last night.
She was woken up by a phone call.
"This morning I'm getting a call that the whole house is on fire and my family is gone," she said.
"It don't even seem real," she continued. "It's a dream - she's going to wake up tomorrow and call me."
Firefighters put out the flames within 15 minutes, and the commissioner says they're now working with the police department, ATF and utilizing arson detection dogs to determine the cause.
"We want to make sure with those assets and resources that we can look at every single possibility to come up with the most accurate best information we can in terms of cause and origin of this fire," said Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson, with the Philadelphia Fire Department.
People who knew the family members who died in this fire are, understandably, taking it hard.
The fire commissioner said the firefighters who responded to the scene are also struggling with this case while working under difficult circumstances.
