BY ALLISON STEELE and JEFF GAMMAGE
The Philadelphia Inquirer
As a fast-moving fire spread through a crowded Olney rowhouse Tuesday, members of the family that lived there apparently never called 911 and tried to extinguish the blaze themselves, according to Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers.
“They discovered it, and they made the choice to fight it,” Ayers said.
By noon, the flames had grown out of control, and passersby and neighbors called 911. By the time firefighters arrived, a 7- and 9-year-old boy were dead, and at least seven members of the household were injured, including four other children.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, Ayers said. It was not clear why the residents of the home, who were Cambodian, did not call 911, but Ayers acknowledged there might be “cultural issues” at play, such as distrust of the government.
No comments:
Post a Comment