Remains Of Final 2 Victims Of West Chester Fire Found

WEST CHESTER, PA — The remains of the two additional seniors who remained missing in the wake of last week's destructive blaze in West Chester were found by authorities late Wednesday. This comes after two bodies were discovered in the rubble at Barclay Friends Senior Center on Tuesday.

The victims include a husband and wife, aged 88 and 92, and two women, aged 85 and 93. Officials said they are still working to identify the remains; their names, meanwhile, have not yet been released.

An investigation into the cause and the origin of the fire remains underway and is being headed up by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco (ATF). Crews remain on the scene at 700 N. Franklin Street as they try to piece together what happened last Thursday night.

“Investigating a fire of this size is truly a team effort,” said ATF Philadelphia Field Division Special Agent in Charge Donald Robinson. “We appreciate the dedication of our personnel as well as all of the state and local partners who worked tirelessly to thoroughly investigate this fire to find the remaining victims and attempt to determine the fire’s origin and cause. We hope with the recovery of the four victims these families can now start to heal and that we can provide some closure for them.”

Authorities are using a large crane and other excavating equipment to sift through the rubble. They're also working close with experts in laboratories, running tests as they gather evidence. The team features experts from a wide array of fields, including chemists, electrical engineers, and fire marshals.

A total of 137 residents were in the building when the fire began, in addition to 15 staff members. In addition to the four deaths, At least 27 of those 137 were injured and hospitalized after the incident; eight remained hospitalized Monday.

The inferno began just before 11 p.m. on Nov. 16 and rapidly spread, becoming a five-alarm blaze. More than 400 first responders joined neighbors in the area in rushing into the building to rescue the residents, many of whom were in wheelchairs and had physical and mental issues.

The ATF is working with the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, Chester County Fire Marshal’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, West Chester Police Department, Chester County Sheriff’s Office and Chester County Department of Emergency Services on the investigation.

If you have any information, please call the ATF 24/7 hotline at 1-888-ATF-FIRE (1-888-283-3473) or email ATFTips@atf.gov.

See Patch's previous coverage of the fire below:

>>Remains Of 2 Victims Of Fire Found In Rubble In West Chester

>>4 Unaccounted For After Fire At West Chester Senior Home

>>Community Rallies After Devastating West Chester Fire

>>Massive Fire Destroys Pennsylvania Senior Living Facility: Video

Photo credit: Pete Bannan/Daily Local News via AP; WPVI-TV via AP