Firefighters pulled an 84-year-old woman from a burning home in South Philadelphia late Sunday. She did not survive, police said.
The woman was discovered in a front room on the second floor of a rowhome along the 1400 block of S. Clarion Street near Reed Street, police said.
Firefighters were dispatched to the home around 9:40 p.m. When they arrived, thick smoke poured from the two-story brick-front house.
Some 50 fire department staff were called to the scene to prevent the fire from spreading, fire dispatchers said. They placed the fire under control about 20 minutes later.
The woman was transported by a medic unit to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She was pronounced dead a short time after arriving in the emergency room, police said.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. The fire marshal has been dispatched to investigate.
