Two people died and a firefighter was injured in a house fire in Philadephia’s Bustleton neighborhood. The fire, which began around midnight Wednesday at the house in on the 9800 block of Bridle Road, spread quickly with heavy flames and smoke pouring from the first and second floors by the time firefighters arrived on the scene.
Forty firefighters with 11 engines battled the blaze for 35 minutes before getting it under control. The heat from the fire tore holes in the roof, knocked windows out and burned a gas meter off the wall, causing a minor gas leak. One firefighter was injured and taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
Firefighters said they did not hear smoke alarms when they arrived on scene. An investigation team from the Fire Marshall’s office was at the site until late in the afternoon.
The man and a woman who died in the fire were believed to be in their 50s. Firefighters found them on the first floor and gave them CPR after removing them from the home, but neither victim survived. Their names have not been released.