Philadelphia fire that killed 12 may have been started by a child

Five-year-old told authorities that he accidentally lit Christmas tree while playing with cigarette lighter

A child playing with a lighter could have ignited the fire that ripped through a Philadelphia home, killing 12 people including eight children, on Wednesday.

A five-year-old boy who escaped the tragedy told investigators that the fire started after he accidentally lit a Christmas tree ablaze while playing with a lighter. A search warrant filed on Wednesday also referred to “information that a child age 5 or under” set the tree on fire.

A neighbour who was looking after the boy till medics arrived informed investigators that the child claimed that he started the fire. His mother died in the blaze, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The child reportedly repeated the statement to a paramedic, firefighter and then to staff at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He was interviewed by a detective at the hospital, where he revealed that he was playing with an orange cigarette lighter.

The blaze broke out around 6.30am on the second floor of a three-story row house in Fairmont, which is owned by the federally-funded Philadelphia Housing Authority.

According to fire officials the building was overcrowded, with 26 people inside a structure meant to accommodate only two families. Authorities added that four smoke detectors were installed in the building and had last been inspected in 2020.

“I know that we will hopefully be able to provide a specific origin and cause to this fire and to provide some answers to the loved ones and, really, to the city,” said Matthew Varisco, who leads the Philadelphia branch of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The relatives in a statement on Thursday said the matriarch of their family had lost three daughters and nine grandchildren in the blaze. The daughters were identified as Rosalee McDonald, 33, Virginia Thomas, 30, and Quinsha White.

Extending his condolences, Philadelphia’s mayor Jim Kenney said: “This is without a doubt one of the most tragic days in our city’s history.”