Philadelphia fire: Four smoke detectors were not working in house fire that left 12 dead

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Four smoke detectors were not working inside a Philadelphia row house that caught fire on Wednesday morning, leaving a dozen people dead, Philadelphia Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy said. 

Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) President Kelvin Jeremiah said on Wednesday afternoon that the smoke detectors were last inspected about eight months ago and were working at the time. 

"This unimaginable loss of life has shaken all of us at PHA. It is too early for us to say more. The property was last inspected in May 2021, and all the smoke detectors were operating properly at that time," Jeremiah said in a statement. 

The four smoke detectors, which were not hard-wired, were originally installed in 2019 and two of them were replaced in 2020, according to Murphy. 

"They were battery operated and they were ten-year lithium batteries in these smoke detectors," Murphy said. 

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The building was divided into two units, with eight people living on the first floor and 18 people living on the second and third floors. 

Philadelphia firefighters work at the scene of a deadly row house fire, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022, in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The Fire Department started receiving calls about the fire at 6:36 a.m. and crews were on the scene within minutes. 

"Firefighters immediately entered the building to find heavy smoke, heat, and limited visibility on all floors," the city of Philadelphia said Wednesday evening. "They made an aggressive attack on the fire, raising multiple ladders to exterior windows and the roof, and conducting search-and-rescue efforts throughout the interior." 

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One child was rescued from the building but did not survive. Seven other children and four adults also died in the fire. Officials originally said that 13 people died, but reduced that number to 12 on Wednesday evening. 

Philadelphia firefighters work at the scene of a deadly row house fire, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022, in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Eight people were able to evacuate the building on their own and at least two people were transported to a local hospital for treatment. 

"We are devastated by the tragic loss of life – several of whom are children – and my thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the victims. I cannot express how unimaginable this is for loved ones," Mayor Jim Kenney said.