Elderly Man Killed In North Philly House Fire
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Authorities say a man in his 70's was killed after a fast-moving house fire early Thursday morning in the Ogontz neighborhood of North Philadelphia.
The fire broke out around 1:15 a.m. at the two-story rowhome located on the 1800 block of Roselyn Street.
Authorities say crews removed the victim -- a military veteran believed to be disabled -- from the house. He was then taken to Einstein Hospital with second degree burns and was later pronounced dead.
The fire reportedly started in the rear of the home then quickly spread through much of the first floor despite working smoke alarms inside. It was placed under control in about a half an hour.
The victim was said to be alone at the time of the fire, although three other residents who also live in the home are now displaced.
Officials have not yet released what caused the blaze, but it is believed the victim may have been cooking.
"Right now it appears that the origin is the first floor kitchen area," commissioner Derrick Sawyer says. "We don't know for sure, we're still investigating, but that appears to be where the origin is, so we want to remind people if you're going to cook, make sure you don't leave your cooking unattended, especially if you're taking medications that make you drowsy. Don't leave your cooking unattended, make sure you stay alert so you don't have a fire."
This is the first fire death of the year in Philadelphia.
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