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Two residents died in separate area fires in back-to-back weeks.
At 8:31 p.m. Monday, a fire broke out in a two-story rowhome on the 500 block of Watkins Street in Dickinson Square West, Executive Chief Richard Davison said. Within 22 minutes the fire was under control. During the investigation, firefighters discovered an adult male who was pronounced dead at the scene.
A week earlier at 4:10 p.m., the fire department responded to a two-story residence on the 2100 block of Pierce Street, Davison said. The blaze was contained within 18 minutes, but personnel found an elderly woman who died in the front room of the first floor.
Both fires were contained to the first floor of the respective buildings, Davison said. The cause of each blaze is still under investigation.
Following both fatalities, firefighters distributed a Home Fire Safety Checklist and other fire-prevention materials, and installed smoke detectors in surrounding homes through the department’s Fire Fatality Program.
“Smoke alarms are the best form of protection against fire, they warn people at the earliest signs of smoke, giving you time to escape,” Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said in a statement.
Those who cannot afford a smoke detector should call 311.
Contact Managing Editor Amanda L. Snyder at asnyder@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
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Chilling crime
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