Man killed in fire at Philadelphia row home

Officials are investigating after a man was killed in a row home fire in Philadelphia’s Port Richmond neighborhood Thursday evening.

According to NBC10 Philadelphia, the fire started in the basement of a two-story home along the 3200 block of Almond Street around 6:20 p.m. Police said three people were inside the home at the time.

Sources say responding firefighters removed a 67-year-old man from the first floor of the home along with a 49-year-old man with special needs from the second floor. Officials said a possible hoarding situation made it difficult for them to rescue the two men.

“They tried to stop the fire from spreading next door,” Edgardo Fonseca, a witness, told NBC10. “It seems like they came to some hoarder conditions that kind of, you know, kept them from getting to the person that passed away.”

Both men were taken to the hospital. The 67-year-old man was later pronounced dead while the 49-year-old man was treated for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters were able to bring the flames under control at 6:53 p.m. Officials also said a third person inside the home got out on their own with their dog.

“The person who evacuated was alerted by the smoke alarm early on,” Philadelphia Fire Chief Michael Richey said. “That’s the importance of these devices.”

Officials have not yet revealed the 67-year-old victim’s identity or the cause of the fire.

“Just sad,” the victim’s neighbor, Edyta Gaviria, told NBC10. “No words to describe this.”

This is a developing story, please check back for updates. NBC10 Philadelphia contributed to this report.