Child playing with lighter might have started Philadelphia home fire that killed 12 family members
- Nine children, three adults killed in early-morning Philadelphia apartment fire
- Fire was one of the United States’ deadliest residential infernos in recent years
Investigators are looking into whether a five-year-old who was playing with a lighter set a Christmas tree on fire, sparking a conflagration that killed 12 family members in a three-storey Philadelphia residential building.
That disclosure was included in a search warrant application as city and federal investigators sought to determine the cause of the blaze, the city’s deadliest in more than a century, which took the lives of three sisters and several of their children early Wednesday.
Jane Roh, spokesperson for District Attorney Larry Krasner, confirmed the contents of the search warrant, which was first reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Fire officials provided few details, declining to say how many people escaped the blaze or speculate on a possible cause, adding the fire scene was complex. Officials also did not say where the fire began, calling it part of the investigation.
The building is owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority, the city’s public housing agency and the state’s biggest landlord.
In a statement Thursday night, relatives said the matriarch of their family had lost three daughters and nine grandchildren in the blaze. The daughters were identified as Rosalee McDonald, Virginia Thomas and Quinsha White. There were two survivors, the family said. Temple University Hospital said one was in stable condition.
