Man dies in West Philadelphia apartment fire, officials say
West Philadelphia fire leaves 1 man dead, several others diplaced
One man has died after a fire broke out inside of a home in West Philadelphia. Firefighters say three residents were able to escape, but one man was killed in the fire.
PHILADELPHIA - Firefighters responded to a large fire at a three-story apartment building at 44th and Chestnut in West Philadelphia Monday morning that left one man dead.
At least three other residents were displaced as a result of the fire.
Crews found heavy flames and smoke and began immediate rescue efforts. Three residents escaped, but one adult man died in the fire, firefighters said.
What we know:
Firefighters arrived to find the upper levels of the building burning with heavy smoke, according to officials. Three residents were able to escape, but one man did not survive.
Part of the building houses the Ethiopian Community Association of Greater Philadelphia, which had to close its doors due to fire damage. The association is known for providing services to immigrants.
"They offer a lot of services to our immigrant community members, and they are a critical organization," said Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.
Many members of the association showed up to help clear debris from the fire, according to city officials. Councilmember Gauthier visited the scene to offer support to the affected community and organization.
A firefighter was injured and received treatment for burns, according to officials.
What they're saying:
Gabriel Griffin, a resident, said he learned about the fire while at work.
"The person that has the place, he called me while I was at work and asked if I was inside, and I was like, no, I'm at work. He was like, yeah, I just heard...the landlord just called, it was a fire," said Griffin.
He monitored updates on his phone before returning home.
"After I Googled it and I saw, uh, seeing that they had the fire people and trying to control the blaze— when they said blaze, I'm like, all right, this is worse than what I think," said Griffin.
Griffin described the man who died as a kind person.
"The guy that was upstairs, he was pretty cool. We ran through, uh, we had a couple of interactions and things in that nature. Didn't really have too much of a relationship with him, but he was a real nice guy, and it's unfortunately that hurt him that he had passed away," said Griffin.
What's next:
Councilmember Gauthier said the Ethiopian Community Association is working on its next steps following the fire. The Red Cross is providing temporary support to displaced residents.
What we don't know:
The cause of the fire is still under investigation and officials have not released further details.
The Source: Information provided by the Philadelphia Fire Department and FOX 29 News reporting.