Deadly Philly Fire

A Philly Fire takes the lives of twelve

Dru Hanson, Reporter|January 26, 2022

Photot by Daniel Tausis on Unsplash

House fires happen more often than you think. They account for 92% of civilian fire deaths. The average number of deaths per year is around 2,620.

Homes with no smoke alarms can be very dangerous. The death rate is twice as high for homes with no working smoke alarms. In 2016 it is recorded that smoke alarms were present it around 70% of house fires.

On Wednesday morning, January 5, 2022 a massive row house fire broke out at around 6:40am according to CNN. The tragic event took place in a three- story rowhouse in Fairmont’s neighborhood in Northern Philadelphia. The fire took the lives of twelve people, nine of which were children. The fire department was called, and “they managed get control of the fire in approximately 50 minutes” the Philadelphia Fire Department tweeted. There were not only fire fighters but dispatchers and medics. “It was terrible, I have been around for 35 years now, and this is one of the worst fires I’ve ever been to to” said Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy during a news conference.

Around 60% of home fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms. It is said that smoke alarms can be even safer if they are interconnected through the entire house.

While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, a theory is emerging that the fire was started by a five-year-old boy who was playing with a lighter and ignited a Christmas tree in the kitchen of a second story unit, but according to Fox News, no official cause has been determined . The row house building was operated by the Philadelphia Housing Authority. Eight people were said to live in the unit between the first and second floor. Eighteen people lived in the unit between the second and third floor. This is reportedly a too large amount of people living in a unit. The Philadelphia Housing Authority said it was unaware of the sheer number of inhabitants in the apartment. Investigators were able to locate six smoke detectors in the units, none of which were working. It is not known if the batteries had expired or were taken out of the devices.

Funeral services were Monday, January 17, 2022 for the twelve victims of the fire that occurred just five days into the new year. According to ABC News, it was the deadliest fire in the city in more than one hundred years and effected the lives of many. The services were held at Temple University’s Liacouras Center, all members of the community were invited to attend and they were asked to wear white. Tables with the twelve caskets adorned with white flowers and large pictures of the victims lined the venue.  An aunt of the children tearfully said she believed there was “a family reunion in heaven.”  “None of know what to do with a funeral for twelve people” said Reverend Dr. Alyn Waller of the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church. “We’re in a space of grief and pain we wish on no one else.”

Accidents while cooking makes up around 48% of all house fires per year. Many people are unaware that cooking mishaps are the leading cause of house fires.

House fires are sadly quite frequent in the United States. In 2020, the National Fire Protection Association reported around 1.4 million residential fires, in which 15,200 people were injured and 3,500 people passed away due to these fires. This tragedy in Philadelphia could have possibly been avoided. House Bill 1236 was introduced in 2019. It was a measure that would have required rental properties in Pennsylvania to install tamper-proof smoke alarms that were either hard-wired to electrical systems, or they needed to have ten year batteries. This  bill, which would have drastically improved the safety of rental units, especially those units that are multi-dwelling units, never even came up for a vote. Caroline Peters, a local Williamsburg resident, has a strong opinion The House Bill. “The house should’ve seen the bill through,” she said.

Even though Christmas tree fires are not that common, each year there is about 160 involving a Christmas tree a year. Fires that involve Christmas trees are more likely to be fatal than other types of house fires.

According to the website firefightersgarage.com, the leading cause of house fires all over the world are cooking accidents. 173,00 fires are caused each year by these types of accidents. Robert Krasche, retired Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Airforce, had no idea that cooking accidents were the number one cause of house fires. “That surprises me!” he stated. Space heaters are the second leading cause of fires in the home. These are especially dangerous, as they are used to provide heat in the homes of the elderly, as well as many lower income family units that may be attached to other homes, like row houses, and apartments. It is sad because people use theses just for their home to feel warm but it ends up destroying it. Other causes are fires that are lit on purpose, cigarettes, laundry appliances(mainly dryers), flammable liquids, BBQ grills, candles, power tools and Christmas trees.