A catastrophic fire tore through a rowhouse in Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighborhood before sunrise Wednesday and killed 12 people, including eight children, in one of the nation’s deadliest residential fires in decades.

Authorities did not identify the victims, but relatives and friends said they included two mothers and their children, some who attended a nearby elementary school and one possibly as young as 2. Together, they occupied the top unit of a three-story brick home in which at least four smoke detectors weren’t working.

Investigators couldn’t say what sparked the 6:30 a.m. blaze or why it became so deadly so swiftly. Federal agents were expected to join Philadelphia fire marshals in what is likely to be a complex and lengthy probe.

» READ MORE: Fairmount house fire that killed 12 is one of the nation’s deadliest in decades

Read more of our coverage of Wednesday’s fire:

The rowhouse fire on the 800 block of North 23rd St., which killed 12 people trapped in an upper apartment, immediately prompted concerns over rules governing fire exits in Philadelphia homes.

Early Wednesday, deputy fire commissioner Craig Murphy said the home where the fatal fire occurred only had two entrances –– one in front and another out back.

“All I know of is two exits,” he said.

Under the city’s construction code, that is legal. But some neighborhood residents questioned why older homes like these were not equipped with more escape routes, such as fire escapes.

Karen Guss, spokesperson for the city’s Department of Licenses & Inspections, said city codes only require that residential homes contain a minimum number of exits, which vary based on certain factors. For example, one exit meets the requirement for a residential two family home with three three floors, she said. A front door can count as an exit.

Regina Cureton, 48, lives at PHA housing some blocks away from the fire. She said her home has a similar layout as the Fairmount house and one fire exit is not enough. “We only have one way [to exit],” she said. “We have one staircase that leads to my apartment and I have no other way out… If a fire was to occur on the steps, I have to jump out my window.”

— Ximena Conde and Ryan Briggs

A spokesperson for Mayor Jim Kenney said the city has revised the number to 12 for the number of fatalities in the Fairmount house fire. The city had previously said 13 people had died.

The new count includes eight children and four adults, the spokesperson said.

— Robert Moran

After attending a virtual vigil that drew about 200 people, a group of Fairmount residents decided to hold an in-person gathering Wednesday evening at 22nd and Brown Streets.

About six people came, two holding arrangements of flowers. None knew the fire victims.

”This really hit home for me. It was so close by, and the children. I just thought coming out and showing support in person was better than staying home and sitting in front of the TV,” said Claus Petersen, 66, a retired sailor and German immigrant.

Lori Braunstein, 59, said she believes at the heart of the tragedy is economic inequity.

”I’m here because I felt that I needed to stand up and say that as a society, as a city, we’ve failed our citizens in not being able to provide safe, affordable housing to everyone who needs it,” she said. “I don’t think being poor is a reason for people to have to die. I hope that change can happen as a result of this tragedy and we take more seriously providing basic housing for people.”

Robin Creen, 56, said: “I came out to support the family and friends and to show how much the neighbors are behind them. Fairmount is a very close knit neighborhood.”

— Mensah Dean

Northeast Philadelphia resident Donna Dodd drive to Fairmount Wednesday evening for a vigil that she heard was happening near the house.

Miscommunications led to the event being sparsely attended, but Dodd said she felt compelled to show support for the family.

”I’ve got kids of my own, and my heart just goes out to the family,” Dodd, 33, said. “That’s one of my worst fears — a fire in the house with my kids.”

— Sean Collins Walsh

It is still early, but there is at least one way to help, whether you are in Philadelphia or not.

Children First, a Philadelphia-based child advocacy nonprofit, has launched a fundraiser to help those affected, and is “reaching out to the community to find ways” to help. Formerly known as Public Citizens for Children and Youth, the group adds that all donations will go to the family and community affected by the fire.

➡️ Donate now

It is likely that more fundraisers and ways to help will be announced in the coming days.

— Nick Vadala

Jacuita Purifoy, 37, said three of her younger sisters were in the building, as well as nieces.

Purifoy said she and more than two dozen family members and friends waited at Bache-Martin Elementary for hours, where the Salvation Army and police chaplains had connected them with warm beverages and snacks, to see if they could get more information.

”I don’t have no emotion, so I can’t really speak about nothing because I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on, just like everybody else,” said Purifoy before family pulled her into a prayer circle.

Purifoy said she had yet received a definitive list of the relatives who died in the fire.

— Ximena Conde

In a span of less than five minutes early Wednesday morning, 911 operators received 36 calls about a fire on the 800 block of North 23rd Street, according to Philadelphia Police Corporal Jasmine Reilly.

Reilly said an initial 911 call was answered immediately and fire crews arrived on the scene less than five minutes later.

According to Reilly: “On 1/5/21 between 6:36 AM and 6:39 AM police radio received 36 calls to 911 regarding a fatal fire at 8XX N. 23rd Street. The first call was received at 6:36:28 and was answered immediately. The call taker was able to get information regarding the location of the fire and the call was transferred to fire communications at 6:37:12. PFD dispatch answered on 2 rings. Fire personnel were dispatched and enroute at 6:38:27. The first Fire Department company arrived on scene at 6:40 a.m.”

— Ryan Briggs

Some of the victims of the deadly Fairmount fire attended Bache-Martin Elementary, a K-8 on 22nd Street, officials said.

Fire survivors and family members gathered there Wednesday.

The school is one of 92 Philadelphia schools currently offering virtual instruction only because of a spike in COVID-19 cases that has affected staffing citywide. Though no students were in the building Wednesday, staff were teaching from their classrooms.

— Kristen A. Graham

Aneisha Thomas could barely speak as she remembered her first cousins Virginia Thomas, Rosalee McDonald and their children.

The two sisters lived in the upper apartment that was engulfed in flames early this morning on Poplar Street.

”She was so sweet,” she said of her cousin Virginia Thomas.

Now a Georgia resident, Aneisha Thomas grew up with Virginia Thomas and McDonald since since the three of them were in diapers. They were all close, she said.

Aneisha Thomas said that Virginia Thomas had five children, while McDonald had six.

Through tears, Aneisha Thomas said her family is devastated. She’s been on the phone with Virginia Thomas and McDonald’s older sister, Estelle, throughout the day as they try to sort out what happened.

”When I go visit Philly, it’s going to be a void,” she said. “It’s going to be a blank stare when I visit because of how I can’t go visit them.”

— Marina Affo

Kerry Pusey, 37, an education grad student at the University of Pennsylvania, lives six houses down from the fire house. He said most of the houses on the block are triplexes — three apartments per building.

He lives on the second floor of his building, and wonders how he would escape if a fire broke out on the first floor.

“These buildings are very old. I don’t know about the fire safety of the buildings. If there was a fire on the first floor I have no idea how I’d get out. I’d have to go out the window probably and break some bones,” he said.

Pusey said pounding noises, yelling, sirens, and smoke woke him up Wednesday morning.

“I actually sleep with ear plugs in, so it must have been quite loud. I looked out and saw the flashing lights, so I threw on some clothes and came down to see what was going on,” he said.

Pusey, who teaches English as a second language to adults, became emotional when talking about the deaths of his neighbors, whom he knew by sight but not their names.

“I walk passed that house everyday. I see the people who live there and say hello. There was a lot of children running around and playing. A lot of kids,” he said.

— Mensah M. Dean

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf issued a statement on the Fairmount fire:

“Devastated over this morning’s tragic fire that killed 13 Pennsylvanians, including 7 children, in Philadelphia.

“My heart goes out to the loved ones left to cope with this heartbreaking loss of life.

“Thank you to the brave first responders who got the fire under control.

“Mental health resources are available for anyone experiencing trauma, grief, or anxiety: http://pa.gov/mental-health.”

— Staff report

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Wednesday it is “too early” to say if the fatalities could be considered homicides or if a criminal investigation will get underway.

During a previously scheduled virtual briefing about gun violence, Outlaw was asked about the fatal fire, adding: “If there’s any evidence located that determines that the PPD needs to step in, we will do that. But it’s still too early to speak on that at this point.”

District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement his office “is prepared to work with our partner agencies in the event that any criminal act is involved,” adding: “To be clear, we are not involved at this time, as this investigation is in very preliminary stages.”

— Anna Orso

Mickie Goodson, 55, grew up in the area where the fire killed 13, but now lives in West Oak Lane. The tragedy drew here back home, she said.

“I got here at about 10. I prayed with some of the family members. They, of course, were devastated. Praying with the family helped me a little bit. I can’t imagine how they felt. I can’t fathom their pain, what they’re going through.”

Goodson was among those who faulted PHA for not hard wiring smoke detectors in their properties given that residents who smoke often take the batteries out of the devices.

“PHA has got to do better than this,” she said.

Fire department executive chief Derek Bowmer said names, ages, and genders of victims have not been released, nor has the cause of the fire.

“I’m not doing well at all,” he said at the scene. “But l have a job to do, this is what we do. That’s what [Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel] always says. I told the family today that we are hurting. The city of Philadelphia is hurting right now. We lost some people today.”

Bowmer said this was the largest number of fire fatalities in his career.

— Mensah M. Dean

Isaiah Brown, 18, was grieving his cousins who were lost in the fire. Brown said he knew most of the victims and was close to the younger cousins. His cousins were 7, 10, and 16 years old. The youngest was just two years old.

“It’s a total tragedy,” he said. “They used to come over all the time. I feel so bad that that happened.”

Brown recalled a conversation with one of his younger cousins where they spoke about his future. Brown now grieved a young life cut short.

“He was just on the phone telling me what he wanted to be in life. It’s sad that he won’t make it to be that,” he said.

Brown declined to provide any names.

— Rodrigo Torrejón

Philadelphia Housing Authority President Kelvin Jeremiah said in a statement the property was last inspected in May and that smoke detectors were operating properly at that time.

Otherwise, he said, “it is too early for us to say more,” adding “This unimaginable loss of life has shaken all of us at PHA.”

— Anna Orso

About half dozen people, some wrapped in Salvation Army blankets to fight the cold, waited for additional information at Bache-Martin Elementary at 22nd and Parrish Streets, where coffee and water had been set up.

At least two police chaplains were on site, along with firefighters, offering support to distraught members of the family.

The number of family and friends of people who lived at the home that caught fire ebbed and flowed early afternoon as people relayed what they knew about the blaze and what they didn’t.

Sumara Wright, 18, and Shakir Ferrell, 18, dropped by after they heard about the fire. They said a friend, a 16-year-old who they’ve known for more than a decade, lived in the home.

”I texted him, I called him but I ain’t get no answer,” said Ferrell.

— Ximena Conde

Philadelphia fire officials said it’s unclear how a house fire killed 13 people in a short period of time, saying that firefighters rescued people swiftly once they arrived on scene.

Deputy fire commissioner Craig Murphy said during a news conference that just past 6:30 a.m., firefighters arrived at 869 N. 23rd St. and found that eight people had evacuated. Two others were rescued by first responders and taken to area hospitals.

Murphy denied the suggestion that authorities were slow to respond, and said “they got people out very quickly.”

He said the “heavy fire” engulfed the kitchen area of the second-floor apartment and ran up an open stairwell to the third floor.

“The only thing that was slowing that fire down from moving was,” he paused, “nothing was slowing that fire down.”

— Anna Orso

Regina Cureton, 48, lives at 1830 Girard Ave., which is PHA housing some blocks away from the fire. According to Cureton, her building is a similar layout to the property and she raised concerns about fire escapes two years ago when she moved in — she said the only exits are the front and back doors.

”[My family and I] were afraid that this was going to happen and they never took care of that issue,” she said.

Authorities said no fire alarms were working at the home that caught fire. Cureton said she worries even with working alarms in her home, she and her children would have no way of escaping should the main exits be blocked.

— Ximena Conde

Philadelphia fire officials are still investigating what caused a massive fire Wednesday morning that killed at least 13 people, including seven children.

Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy said the fire at this time is “not necessarily considered suspicious.” He said at least 26 people were living in the three-story rowhouse.

Murphy said the number of fatalities is “dynamic” because a rescue effort remains underway. In addition to the fatalities, two people were seriously injured. One was taken to Temple University Hospital and the other to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Mayor Jim Kenney was on scene Wednesday morning and choked up as he spoke during a news conference.

“This is without a doubt one of the most tragic days in our city’s history,” he said. “Loss of so many people in such a tragic way. Please keep all these folks, and especially these children, in your prayers. Losing so many kids is just devastating.”

He also confirmed that the building is owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority, and he said the agency inspected the building in 2019 and 2020 and installed working smoke detectors. He said at least four detectors discovered Wednesday were not operating.

Dinesh Indala, executive vice president of housing operations for PHA, said that the last inspection of the building was May 2021.

Murphy said in his 35 years as a firefighter, it was one of the worst fires he’d ever seen.

“Let me be painfully clear,” he said, “that we’re in the process of investigating this to the highest level that we can.”

City Council President Darrell Clarke, who represents the area in Council, was also on scene.

“To say you have a loss of words is an understatement,” Clarke said. “This punches you in the gut. Children. People in the community. It’s just tragic. I don’t know what to say. It’s so sad.”

— Anna Orso

A large house fire in Philadelphia’s Fairmount section left at least 13 people dead and two others injured early Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Seven of those killed were children, according to Philadelphia Fire Department First Deputy Commissioner Craig Murphy, a number he described as “dynamic.”

Two people are in critical condition, including one child.

— Rob Tornoe

Bill Richards, who lives down the street, recalls being shaken by screams Wednesday morning, moments before firefighters arrived.

“About a quarter of 7, I heard a woman yelling ‘Oh my god, oh my god,’” said Richards.

After looking out the window and not seeing anything, Richards saw firefighters arrive five minutes later, connecting a firehose and setting up to battle the blaze.

Richards said many people lived in the building and used to say hi to a teenager who lived there whenever they’d run into each other.

Richards, who has lived on 23rd Street for 24 years, hoped the teen and everyone in the building were safe, shaken by the fire and the potential loss of life.

“It’s totally devastating and upsetting,” he said.

Kyle Medernach, a neighbor, captured video of the early morning fire.

— Rodrigo Torrejón

A house in Philadelphia’s Fairmount section that caught fire Wednesday morning has been owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority by 1967, according to deed records. The city’s Department of Licenses & Inspections did not list any recent housing violations or inspections records.

Asked when PHA had last inspected the building, an agency spokesperson referred questions to a forthcoming press conference.

— Ryan Briggs

A large house fire in Philadelphia’s Fairmount section left at least 13 people dead and two others injured early Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Firefighters and police responded to the fire in a home on the 800 block of North 23rd Street at about 6:40 a.m. and found heavy fire coming from the second floor of a three-story rowhouse, according to Fire Department officials.

After about 50 minutes, the fire was placed under control. The scene was still active Wednesday morning as of about 9 a.m.

More than two dozen firefighters, police officers and first responders were gathered outside the Fairmount apartment building, going in and out of the home. Some carried medical equipment while others carried tools to go through the building.

One fire truck ladder extended to the third floor of the building, while two other smaller ones led to the second and third floors.

Neighbors looked on from across the street and from their doorways.

One neighbor, Lindsay Hull, didn’t see the flames but witnessed the water from a firefighter’s house gushing out from the third floor window.

» READ MORE: A large house fire in Fairmount Wednesday morning caused fatalities

— Rodrigo Torrejón and Anna Orso