2 dead, 1 injured in Philadelphia rowhome fire near South Street

2 dead, 1 critical in South Philly rowhome that has seen trouble

A Fire in a South Philadelphia rowhome claims the lives of two men and critically injures a third in a property neighbors say has been the source of trouble.

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - A fire in a South Philadelphia rowhome claims the lives of two men and critically injures a third in a property neighbors say has been the source of trouble.

The cause of the fire is not known at this time.

What we know:

The three-story, hulking brick building on the corner of South 8th and Salter Streets was etched in ash Friday as crews worked to close the blackened structure.

Officials said when fire crews arrived at 2:30 Friday morning, flames had taken hold on all three floors with people inside endangered by the flames.

Will Jenkins lives a few doors away. He said, "It was pretty bad. The top floor looked like most of it was on fire. They were pulling the guys out. They tried resuscitating two of them."

Firefighters worked quickly to douse the flames in a neighborhood with businesses and newly built homes close by, leading to concerns of the fire spreading.

2 dead, 1 injured in South Philadelphia rowhome fire

Two people are dead and another is in critical condition after a rowhome fire early Friday morning in South Philadelphia.

What they're saying:

Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson, leading the Philadelphia Fire Department, said, "During the firefight, we were able to rescue several people from that dwelling but, unfortunately, there were two people that perished as a result of the fire."

Officials report the 25-and-30-year-old male victims were pronounced dead at Jefferson Hospital while a 40-year-old man remains in critical condition.

The victims are believed to have been squatters, said officials, in a building neighbors complained was trouble. Will Jenkins described the problems as, "Rats, defecating outside in a shed, noise, breaking windows, people drunk and fighting."

What we don't know:

The identities of the victims have not been released.

A check of city records shows past code violations and unpaid city fees. A call to the owner was not answered.

The cause of the fire is under investigation in a property where there were no smoke detectors. Fire Commissioner Thompson said, "There was a lot going with rescues having to be made while simultaneously fighting the fire. It was challenging."