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Nearly $80,000 had been raised on a GoFundMe for the loved ones of the deceased as of Thursday afternoon. According to the page, 13 people died. Although fire officials initially reported 13 deaths, the number was later confirmed to be 12.
Had the smoke alarms in the N. 23rd Street building been working properly, though, things might have turned out differently, Mayor Jim Kenney's office said in a news release.
Fire companies arrived at 6:40 a.m. and found heavy fire coming from the second floor of a three-story rowhouse. It took 50 minutes to place the fire under control. Firefighters were able to rescue one child from the building, but the child did not survive.
Two additional family members survived the fire, but were listed in critical condition at an area hospital, NBC10 reports.
"Today, we are asking for help to assist the parents/grandparents with final arrangements with any additional funds going to resources for the two survivors," organizer Andrea Bronson wrote.
"This has devastated our entire family and we are humbly asking our community for assistance."
The victims of the fire have yet to be identified by authorities.
The property is owned, operated, and inspected by the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). It had two units, which were inspected by the PHA in April 2021 and May 2021, respectively.
All smoke detectors were operating properly at those times, according to PHA representatives. However, the smoke alarms were not working during the fire on Wednesday, according to fire officials.
The "complex and multifaceted" fire investigation will take time to complete, Kenney said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the PFD Fire Marshal’s Office in cooperation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the causes of death.
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