Elderly Man Dies After House Fire In Frankford
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – An elderly man has died after a fire in the Frankford section of Philadelphia on Sunday morning.
Firefighters say the blaze broke out at a two-story building at 8:18 a.m. along the 5300 block of Frankford Avenue.
Officials say the bulk of the fire was in a middle bedroom on the first floor where 84-year-old John Blitchford was found unresponsive with second and third degree burns. He was taken to Temple University Hospital where he was pronounced dead a few hours later.
See Also: Firefighters Battle 3 Separate Fires In Southwest, Northeast Philadelphia
A second man, believed to be a friend of Blitchford, escaped the fire. He was also taken to Temple University Hospital where he was treated and released.
"There were no indications of any working smoke alarms in this property," said fire chief Richard Davidson. "However, we are still investigating. We are also still trying to ascertain the occupancy of this building."
Officials say the fire was placed under control at 8:47 a.m. The investigation is ongoing.
