Two dead, one hurt in South Philadelphia fire

According to officials, around 2:10 a.m. units responded to the area of S. 8th & Salter Streets after getting calls of smoke and fire from a corner property.

Three people were trapped inside the burning home, and firefighters went in to rescue them. Firefighters began performing CPR on the three victims. Two people died, and one person is in critical condition.

It took less than an hour for fire crews to extinguish the flames. Neighbors on the scene said firefighters had to go down the block, come up the other side of the rowhomes, and walk across the roofs to get the fire under control.

According to Philadelphia Fire Department Deputy Commissioner Gustav Baumann, the area is a close-knit community, and many of the firefighters on the scene live in the community they serve.

Community members called the home “the tamale house,” where residents would set up a cart and sell tamales to their neighbors outside.

No other injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.