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Fire in North Philly claims the life of a 12-year-old boy
A 12-year-old boy died after being trapped inside a burning apartment in North Philadelphia Friday evening.
PHILADELPHIA - A child is dead after officials say a fire broke out at a residence on the 1900 block of North 25th Street Friday.
What we know:
Firefighters responded to a blaze on the 1900 block of N. 25th St. just after 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
Firefighters arrived to see light smoke and located a fire on the first floor.
Upon searching the property, officials say firefighters found a juvenile on the second floor.
The child was then rushed to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.
Unfortunately the child was pronounced dead at the hospital.
What they're saying:
"There's a baby up in this jawn, man," said Robert Riley in a cellphone video he recorded.
It shows smoke coming from the front of an apartment at PHA’s Johnson Homes in North Philly.
"I tried to get in there," said Riley. "I tried to save him. I wish I could have saved him. I feel real bad about the fact that I didn't."
Riley says he encountered the victim's brother, whose neighbors tell FOX 29 is a twin.
"When I got down there, he was like, my brother is in there, my brother is in there. Smoke was coming out the windows at the top and he is trying to run in there so I had somebody hold him," said Riley. "I opened the door and I was going to go in and try to get him but it was so much smoke and flames right at the door. I could not get in there and get him," he said.
"Companies were on scene in under two minutes and from what I'm told all personnel on scene, fire, police and EMS did everything they could," said Asst. Fire Chief Anthony Bompadre.
"For our men and women to have to respond to this and see something so tragic, it's something that really cuts to the heart of what we do as first responders," said Captain Michael Goodson of Philadelphia Police.
Police could not confirm at the time who else was in the house.
But neighbors say the two brothers were there and one got out.
Riley says he has never seen anything like this.
"The whole back of the house was engulfed. It was a shame man," he said.
Officials do not yet know what caused the fire, where it started in the home or the status of smoke detectors.
What's next:
The Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause and origin of the fire and the Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause of death.