Father, Son Killed In Northeast Philadelphia Fire
By Hadas Kuznits
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Two people are dead after a fire ripped through a home in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday morning.
The blaze broke out around 9 a.m. at a home along the 12000 block of Salina Place near Woodhaven and Academy Roads.
Officials say a father and son were found dead inside the home after the fire was placed under control.
Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers says hoarding was contributing factor to the blaze and to the deaths of the two victims. He says books, cassette tapes and aerosol cans were piled throughout the home, feeding the fire which started in the living room and trapping the victims in the dining room where their bodies were discovered by firefighters.
Ayers says the house and utilities seemed to be in good, working order, but says while the house looked well put together from the outside, inside there were piles of things everywhere.
Firefighters say one working fire detector was found in the basement, but a second found in the stairwell was without batteries.
The victims were not immediately identified. The cause of the fire is under investigation.