3 Dead, Including Child, After Fire Spreads Through Delco House

CHESTER, PA — Three family, including a child, were killed in a house fire that also critically injured a man early Wednesday in Chester.

The remains of two women and an 11-year-old girl were recovered at the scene on the 200 block of Jeffrey Street.

Meanwhile, a 78-year-old man who was pulled from the second floor was hospitalized in critical condition.

The man's wife, his 30-year-old daughter and his 11-year-old granddaughter died in the fire, according to 6abc Action News.

Officials haven't released the victims' names.

The child was a student at Toby Farms Intermediate School, according to the Chester-Upland School District superintendent.

"This loss is not only felt within our schools, but across our entire community," Superintendent Dr. Latrice N. Mumin said in a statement. "Our students, families, staff, and neighbors are all grieving together, and we recognize that this moment is weighing heavily on many."

The fire was reported around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. It started while many people in the house were sleeping and destroyed most of the row home, leaving only the front of the house standing, officials told Fox 29.

Hoarding conditions made it especially difficult for firefighters, according to Chester Fire Commissioner John Paul Shirley.

"It's tough to move around just in normal conditions," Shirley said. "But when you have a fire and the house is filled with smoke and there's zero visibility, it just makes the job 10 times harder."

The man was rescued from the second floor, where flames spread quickly. He was brought to Christiana Hospital in critical condition and then transferred to Temple University Hospital for severe burns.

After controlling the fire, crews spent several hours looking for victims who were unaccounted for. The child and her mother were found dead on the first floor, while the eldest woman's body was discovered on the floor above.

The cause of the fire has been under investigation.