House fire early Monday kills 2
Fire chief says 14-year-old boy and a man “in his 50s” were both killed in the blaze
POTTSTOWN >> A smoky fire in a twin home on East Fifth Street early Monday morning claimed the lives of two people and put a third in the burn unit.
Pottstown Fire Chief Frank Hand confirmed that a 14-year-old boy and a man “in his 50s” were both killed in the fire. The third victim, “a woman in her 50s” was taken to the burn unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital.
“It’s horrible,” Hand said. The names of the victims are being withheld until the investigation is complete.
Hand said all three victims were found on the second floor of the home at 7 E. Fifth St., and the 14-yearold was found last.
The cause of the fire has not been officially determined, but Hand said it appears to have been “accidental” and likely started on the first floor.
The deaths occurred at the fire, but the Montgomery County Coroner has not yet announced the exact cause, Hand said Monday afternoon.
He also said “we couldn’t find any working smoke detectors” in the house. “I can’t stress to people enough the importance of that early warning you get from smoke detectors.”
And there was definitely a lot of smoke.
Firefighters from Empire, the Phillies, Goodwill, North End and West End Fire Company all responded to the call, which came about 2:30 a.m.
Video shot when the first firefighters arrived showed flames and sparks falling in front of a firefighter with a flashlight on the front porch and a red glow could be seen through the windows.
As more firefighters arrived, they smashed open windows on the second floor and thick smoke poured out.
Also removed from the fire was a small white dog that did not appear to be responsive.
John Westin, who uses a wheelchair, said he and his daughter live in the other half of the twin and left when they smelled smoke.
“We were coughing, and all I smelled was smoke,” said Westin as he watched from across the street as the firefighters worked to ventilate the home and check for lingering flames. Hand said the names of the victims and official cause of the fire will likely be released Tuesday.