Fire claims a life in Chester, damages several rowhouses
Authorities did not identify the woman who died in the fire, which broke out around 2 p.m. on the 300 block of Clayton Street.
A rowhouse fire on Friday in Chester claimed the life of a woman, and damaged several adjacent houses on the 300 block of Clayton Street, according to the Chester Fire Department.
Authorities did not identify the victim of the fire, which broke out around 1:55 p.m. Police who responded evacuated three juveniles and an adult female, but the fire was so intense that fire fighters were unable to gain entry to the house, Fire Commissioner William C. Rigby IV said in a statement.
The Chester Fire Department issued a second alarm for reinforcements — fire companies from eight surrounding municipalities pitched in — and it took more than a half hour to bring the blaze under control. The flames spread to neighboring two-story houses, which were evacuated. The Red Cross provided housing to 15 people who were displaced.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.