Another life was lost to what Philadelphia officials call the city’s “fire problem” late Sunday night. A man in his 70’s died when his apartment, which didn’t have working smoke detectors, caught fire, investigators said.
Firefighters said they couldn’t save the man inside the third-floor apartment at Sumac Street and Manayunk Avenue in Manayunk.
The fire department said they were called there shortly after 11 p.m. and arrived within three minutes, but a hoarding situation made fighting the fire challenging.
PFD Captain Derek Bowmer said he wants residents to remember to call 311 for smoke alarms and to have an escape plan.
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“All the things we’ve been preaching,” Bowmer said. “The commissioner has talked about us having a ‘fire problem’ in the city, and we continue to have that. And the fire department will continue to fix that problem the best we can.”
A second person was taken to the hospital for unknown injuries.
