PA - 13 dead, including 7 children, in Philadelphia row house fire, Jan 2022

[LadyL]

Family Shares Photos of Victims of Deadly Philly Fire

While officials have not yet identified them, family members provided photos of some of the victims to NBC10. The family did not reveal the names or ages of the victims but confirmed that everyone in the pictures died in the fire.

so tragic

 

[CP244]

I have a downstairs rental unit and only about two weeks ago, I could smell food burning, went down and there was a saucepan on fire in the kitchen. I am not supposed to have a key to the unit, but we got sick of tenants leaving without the handing in the keys and had to have the locks changed.
I would rather have an argument about me having a key than have my whole house burn down.
When the tenant came home, I asked him why the fire alarm did not go off and he answered because it kept going off whenever he cooked so he took the batteries out.

 

[Shamrock1]

“There were six working battery-operated smoke detectors installed in the building, but none were operational at the time of the blaze, firefighters said.”
13 People, Including 7 Kids, Die in Fire That Tore Through Philly Rowhome

 

[Shamrock1]

“The duplex is a Philadelphia Housing Authority property. Officials said one of the units was inspected in April 2021 and the other in May 2021. At that time, all smoke detectors were ‘operating properly.’

Action News has learned there were seven smoke detectors and three carbon monoxide detectors in one of the apartments, and six smoke detectors with three carbon monoxide detectors in the other.”

Smoke detectors were not operating when crews arrived on scene of fatal fire: Officials

 

[Trinitee]

Family Shares Photos of Victims of Deadly Philly Fire

While officials have not yet identified them, family members provided photos of some of the victims to NBC10. The family did not reveal the names or ages of the victims but confirmed that everyone in the pictures died in the fire.

What beautiful babies, so sad.

 

[sds71]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Child playing with lighter near Christmas tree may have sparked duplex fire that killed 12, Philadelphia officials say


Warrant: 5-year-old might have started deadly Philadelphia house fire

Child Played With Lighter Near Christmas Tree Prior to Deadly Fire, Sources Say

 

[Shamrock1]

"[H]ousing authority officials said Thursday the building actually had 13 tamper-resistant, 10-year detectors in the units, all of which were operational during the last inspection in May 2021."
Warrant: 5-year-old might have started deadly Philadelphia house fire

 

[Tower]

Another smoke detector issue to consider is how they were tested. I replaced some 30 year old smoke detectors when I moved into my current residence. Interestingly enough, pressing the “test” button indicated that the detectors were working, and they had little lights that indicated they were working. But they didn’t work - the only test that reliably tells whether they are working uses a wisp of smoke. The only thing the test button and light were really testing is whether they had a power source.

So, the residents might have disabled or removed the smoke detectors, or the smoke detectors might have been beyond their service life.

One of the MSM articles linked here reported one unit had both batteries and smoke detector devices replaced as recently as 2019. But the report wasn’t sure in which apartment. I’m guessing they were disabled for some reason (moo), but the investigation should show why they didn’t seem to go off. It’s so sad.
ETA: Never mind Shamrock1 had a better source. The smoke detectors should have worked.

 

[MimosaMornings]

How many bedrooms were in each unit? Maybe some of the children were sleeping in the area where the tree was?

 

[Shamrock1]

One of the MSM articles linked here reported one unit had both batteries and smoke detector devices replaced as recently as 2019. But the report wasn’t sure in which apartment. I’m guessing they were disabled for some reason (moo), but the investigation should show why they didn’t seem to go off. It’s so sad.
ETA: Never mind Shamrock1 had a better source. The smoke detectors should have worked.

The source I posted was just the most recent. I’m curious to see what actually happened, because what I’ve read so far doesn’t make sense. JMO.

 

[sds71]

In 2011, three people moved into Unit A and six in Unit B. In the four-bedroom unit B, the family grew exponentially between 2011 and 2021, with at least eight children added to the household, Jeremiah said.
Jeremiah described the family in Unit B as a multi-generational family consisting of a grandmother, her three daughters and their children. The family wanted to stay together and the PHA does not have occupancy limits.
"Our policies and procedures do not evict people because they have children," Jeremiah said. "We don't remove them because their families are growing."


Philadelphia fire: 3 sisters and all but one of their children died in row house fire - CNN

 

[Shamrock1]

“According to sources, a child inside the home told investigators that a Christmas tree went up in flames. Sources told NBC10 the child was playing with a lighter near the tree. That child managed to escape the fire.”
Child Played With Lighter Near Christmas Tree Prior to Deadly Fire, Sources Say

This is quite plausible IMO. At 6am, there isn’t a lot of adult supervision. And trees go up incredibly fast. Here’s a link to US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s YouTube video of dry vs well-watered trees. Government group so I hope ok.

 

[Warwick1991]

One of the MSM articles linked here reported one unit had both batteries and smoke detector devices replaced as recently as 2019. But the report wasn’t sure in which apartment. I’m guessing they were disabled for some reason (moo), but the investigation should show why they didn’t seem to go off. It’s so sad.
ETA: Never mind Shamrock1 had a better source. The smoke detectors should have worked.

It sounds as if the smoke detectors might have been deliberately disabled, based on the most detailed MSM links in previous posts. One of the articles noted that there were 13 tamper resistant smoke detectors that had a 10 year service life. I’m curious as to whether they were also hard wired to the electrical panels, in addition to having batteries, as I think every US building jurisdiction requires this if significant remodeling takes place. I’d like to know why they didn’t work.

 

[Shamrock1]

PHA’s guidelines. Smoke detectors in section 4.10.
http://www.pha.phila.gov/media/182939/pha_hqs_inspection_resource_guide.pdf

@Warwick1991 I don’t think hard-wired is required unless occupant is hearing-impaired. JMO.

 

[Warwick1991]

PHA’s guidelines. Smoke detectors in section 4.10.
http://www.pha.phila.gov/media/182939/pha_hqs_inspection_resource_guide.pdf

@Warwick1991 I don’t think hard-wired is required unless occupant is hearing-impaired. JMO.

Hard wired smoke detectors have been required by US model codes/NFPA 72 for over 30 years for new construction. In many locales, retrofitted hard wired detectors are required in existing buildings. When not required for existing buidings, criteria for installation is usually remodeling of a certain cost or percentage threshold, and is not based on occupants being hearing impaired. Most jurisdictions in the US will require new hard wired smoke detectors when a building is remodeled, especially if the electrical panel is upgraded. I believe the requirement originally came into effect to maintain the function of the smoke detectors even with missing or dead batteries.

If the smoke detectors were hard wired, they would have to be pulled out of their connectors. Since most modern installations work in tandem, all of the detectors in one apartment would probably be pulled out together if someone wanted to prevent them from working.

Installing and maintaining smoke alarms - NFPA

 

[MimosaMornings]

In 2011, three people moved into Unit A and six in Unit B. In the four-bedroom unit B, the family grew exponentially between 2011 and 2021, with at least eight children added to the household, Jeremiah said.
Jeremiah described the family in Unit B as a multi-generational family consisting of a grandmother, her three daughters and their children. The family wanted to stay together and the PHA does not have occupancy limits.
"Our policies and procedures do not evict people because they have children," Jeremiah said. "We don't remove them because their families are growing."


Philadelphia fire: 3 sisters and all but one of their children died in row house fire - CNN

So the grandmother and only one child survived out of Unit B. Wonder where the grandmother was sleeping that she was able to escape the fire?
Were the husbands/fathers of the children at work?
I can’t imagime the horror of losing most of your family in a fire.

 

[Warwick1991]

Thinking some more about the smoke detectors, if there were 13 smoke detectors in one apartment unit, and none of them worked, it is very likely that they were hard wired to the electrical panel and interconnected. They would have worked in tandem. If one alarms, they all do. If they were separate, battery-only smoke detectors, some would have worked, even if a few didn’t.

I think it is likely that someone disconnected all of them. If only one was disconnected, the other smoke detectors would alarm until the one that was removed was reinstalled. Disconnecting all of them would explain why none of them worked.

 

[airportwoman]

Burnt Toast Syndrome or...?

@Shamrock1 sbm bbm Thanks for your post. One other reason ppl remove alarm batteries is to use them, esp'ly in kids' toys.

Manufacturers' dilemma:
Use commonly available batteries like AA or 9 volt, so users can buy/keep on hand and replace as necessary. Less/no temptation to yank out for toys.
Use less commonly available batteries, usu more expensive, but users may tend not to keep/have extras on hand.

In this case, puzzling that at least 2 detectors were replaced in 2020 and batteries replaced the others, per the Phil. Housing Auth.*
So sad that w annual inspections did not prevent this.

Makes me wonder: someone disabling alarms or arson?

* Philadelphia fire kills at least 13, including 7 children

I have a feeling that the records were falsified.

 

[al66pine]

I have a feeling that the records were falsified.

@airportwoman bbm Thanks for your post. Agreeing. Housing auth's inspections may have been bogus, so inspection records may likewise have been bogus.
Not saying they were, but acknowledging that as a possibility. my2ct.

 

[Warwick1991]

Another account from the Philadelphia Inquirer now says that there were 6 smoke detectors in the upstairs unit where so many perished. Fairmount rowhouse fire may have started with a Christmas tree fire Many questions need to be answered about the smoke detectors. Were they disconnected? Were they defective?