Officials: 5-year-old twin girls killed, 2 firefighters injured in Upper Darby rowhome fire
Officials: 5-year-old twin girls killed, 2 firefighters injured in Upper Darby rowhome fire
Fire officials in Upper Darby say 5-year-old twin girls were killed in a house fire that torched a rowhome early Tuesday morning. The devastating blaze also left two firefighters hurt and the children's mother hospitalized.
UPPER DARBY, Pa. - A fire at a home in Upper Darby claimed the life of 5-year-old twin sisters and left their mother hospitalized, officials say.
Firefighters were called to the 300 block of Margate Road around 4 a.m. Tuesday for reports of a fire that officials say quickly struck two alarms.
Reginald Spotwood, a neighbor, told FOX 29 that he heard the twin sisters pleading for help and entered the burning house to try to rescue them.
"I have three daughters, so I know how it feel, plus they were right there screaming ‘help me, help me’," Spotwood said.
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Upper Darby Fire Chief Derrick Sawyer told reporters that the fire worsened when the twins opened their bedroom door.
"When the fire starts in the living room area and goes right up the stairs – when you open the door it adds fuel to the fire and helps the fire grow and spread," Sawyer said.
The children's mother, who is listed on public records as the homeowner, survived the by jumping out a rear window. She was taken to the hospital and underwent surgery midday Tuesday.
Community members started a memorial outside the charred remains of the home hours after the deadly fire.
"I don’t want to think about it, it hurts a whole lot, I have kids, I have a grandson, I know how painful it is to lose young kids," Winifred Goodlin said.
Fire investigators have not said what ignited the blaze.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support the family. To donate, click here.