PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A woman is in critical condition and three others were hurt, including two firefighters, after a rowhome fire in the Germantown section of Philadelphia early Tuesday morning.
A family member of the injured woman who lives at the home said she suffered severe burns in the fire. He also said one of her dogs died and that the family had lived there for nearly 50 years.
At least three people were injured in a 2-alarm fire inside a rowhome in Philadelphia’s Germantown section on Tuesday morning.
“I was sleep and I heard a big ‘pow’ and I looked over and it was flames,” recalled Tammeka Hinson, who escaped the fire.
Officials said the two-alarm fire started shortly before 7 a.m. on the 500 block of High Street. When crews arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from the two-story home, prompting a large emergency response that included hundreds of first responders and the ATF.
Deputy Commissioner Gustav Baumann said a mayday was called during the response.
“That mayday was called for one of our members that was removed from the building,” Baumann said.
The firefighter is now in stable condition with possible burns after the first floor collapsed, officials said. A second firefighter was treated at the scene for a minor injury.
Tiffany Coleman, who lives nearby, said she helped alert others in the area. Coleman said her mother, who lives next door, was displaced due to damage from the fire.
“Scary. Nervous. Heartpounding. Mostly wanted to make sure I got my mom out,” Coleman said.
Hinson said she had been inside the home helping care for the elderly woman who lives there when the fire spread rapidly. Hinson said the woman’s son, who lives at the home, tried to rescue her and was injured.
“He went up on the roof, he climbed up to save her, he busted the windows to get in,” Hinson said.
Neighbor Ernest Allen said he took the son to the hospital.
“He was crying, he was just stuck cause he didn’t know what to do,” Allen said.
At the time of the fire, two dogs were inside the home. Neighbors said one survived and the other cannot be found.
“I’m hurt. I just pray that they are okay,” Hinson said.
The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.