Woman, child dead after fire breaks out in Philadelphia rowhome; 2 others severely burned

A massive house fire in Philadelphia's Summerdale section left a woman and child dead on Saturday.

The flames broke out just after 7:30 a.m. on the 900 block of Granite Street.

The fire department quickly responded to the fire. When they arrived on the scene, officials said the first floor was already engulfed in flames.

Authorities say six people were inside the residence at the time of the fire.

In a press briefing, Assistant Fire Chief Rob Wilkins told Action News that a 31-year-old woman and an 8-year-old girl were found dead inside a second-floor bedroom.

A 32-year-old man and a 9-year-old boy were able to escape the home. They were taken to nearby hospitals with third-degree burns and are in critical condition.

A neighbor told Action News her father rushed over to help once they noticed the smoke and blaze.

"He said it was a big ball of smoke. So when he saw the guy and the little boy running down the stairs, they fell down. So he grabbed them and pushed them away," recalled Jahairah Castro.

In a security video, the man can be seen carrying a young boy away from the burning home. He then sits the child on a set of steps across the street.

Additionally, a 28-year-old man suffered minor burns to his hand and another unknown man fled the scene.

The fire also displaced a family inside an adjacent rowhome. Those occupants were able to escape with no injuries.

Officials say there were no working fire alarms inside the initial home.

"Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms - you got to have them," noted Jaimie Dankanich, a neighbor. "It's very sad. Just like that, your life can be over."

This is the second deadly fire in two days in the city of Philadelphia.

The cause remains under investigation.