A grand jury will investigate whether anyone should be charged in the Kensington warehouse fire that left two Philadelphia firefighters dead last week.
The massive inferno at the abandoned Thomas Buck Hosiery Factory at York and Jasper in Kensington quickly grew to a five-alarm blaze and claimed the lives of 60-year-old Lt. Robert Neary, and 25-year-old firefighter, Daniel Sweeney. Both men were members of Ladder 10.
“I certainly wish this hadn't happened and I want to know what factors led to this,” Mayor Michael Nutter said while touring the tragic scene.
That search for answers will include a grand jury inquiry, District Attorney Seth Williams' office announced Tuesday morning.
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Outside of announcing the calling of the grand jury, the D.A.'s office said they could make no further statements about the case.
The early morning April 9 fire was under control within a couple hours but according to investigators, hot embers spread to several homes and a furniture store, it was inside that store where the tragedy unfolded.
Five firefighters were trapped in the rubble. One escaped on his own, two were rescued 30 minutes later but it took two hours for crews to locate Neary and Sweeney. Lt. Neary.
It's not yet known what caused the fire, but residents say they had complained numerous times to the City about the condition of the building. According to the Department of Licenses and Inspections, the owners York Street Property Development based in New York City, were cited four times since November and also owed thousands in unpaid taxes.
“We will explore and refer to the District Attorney any potential criminal negligence,” said Deputy Mayor Everett Gillison after the blaze.
The fallen firefighters were laid to rest last week.
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