Authorities are investigating whether smoke alarms were working properly in a North Philly boarding home for veterans after the deadly blaze tore through the residential property, killing one man and displacing two dozen others.
Firefighters responded to reports of heavy smoke and flames in The Dillard House on the 3000 block of North 22nd Street around 3 a.m., according to reports.
Rescuers found the 57-year-old man dead on the 3rd floor of the building, which is part of the Alliance of Youth Mission Ministries -- an organization that serves the disadvantaged, homeless and displaced veterans, officials said.
The unidentified victim, who may have been disabled, could have been smoking inside his apartment, said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer, who added a walker was found near the man's body.
It took crews about 16 minutes to get the blaze under control.
The fire also displaced 23 others, who were staying in the 40-room property, authorities said.
The deadly blaze broke out a short while after a fire in a West Philly high-rise displaced dozens of residents.
