Philadelphia fire: Flyers hold moment of silence, donate $10k to victims

Flyers hold moment of silence for victims of Fairmount rowhome fire

The Philadelphia Flyers held a moment of silence for the 12 victims of Wednesday's rowhome fire in Fairmount before their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team also made a $10k donation to the Fairmount Families support fund.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Flyers held a moment of silence before their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins for the victims of a rowhome fire in Fairmount that claimed the lives of 12 people, including eight children.

Flyers Charities made a $10k donation to the Fairmount Families Support Fund to help survivors and their families. The team encouraged others to make a one-time or recurring donation on the charity's website.

Authorities have not said what sparked the fire that erupted on the second-floor of a Philadelphia Housing Authority duplex on Wednesday morning.

Family members say the victims ranged in age from 33-year-old to 1-year-old. They also say two of the victims were sisters, ages 33 and 30, and that both of them were mothers. The sisters each had multiple children, but it's unclear if all of them were home at the time of the fire or how many of them died.

Philadelphia fire: 8 children among victims of Fairmount rowhome fire

Eight children were among 12 people killed Wednesday during a rowhome fire in Fairmount. "They're babies, young children. They didn't even get to experience life," said Isaiah Brown, a cousin who viewed himself as a mentor to one of the boys.

Two other victims, including a child, were taken to area hospitals and listed in critical, but stable condition. Several others were able to safely evacuate the home, according to fire officials.

In the aftermath of one of the worst residential fires in recent years, investigators have said that the home did not have operational smoke detectors. The Philadelphia Housing Authority said that during the most recent inspection in May of 2021, all of the smoke detectors in the property were found to have been in working order.

Investigators on Friday toiled with the possibility that the fire may have been started when a 5-year-old child was playing with a lighter a lit the Christmas tree on fire.