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Fatal Fairmount fire was a once-in-a-generation tragedy. Here’s how it unfolded.

The tragedy killed 12 and raised questions about the city’s public-housing apparatus, the state of affordable housing and whether fire precautions are keeping the most vulnerable residents safe.

Jafar Muhammad places candles at the memorial at 23rd and Parrish Streets after a fatal fire in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia on Jan. 6. A fire that began before sunrise on Jan. 5 in a rowhouse on 23rd Street between Poplar and Parrish Streets killed 12 people, including eight children.
Jafar Muhammad places candles at the memorial at 23rd and Parrish Streets after a fatal fire in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia on Jan. 6. A fire that began before sunrise on Jan. 5 in a rowhouse on 23rd Street between Poplar and Parrish Streets killed 12 people, including eight children.Read moreJESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer