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Man dies after fire in Philly’s Fern Rock section

The fire was reported around 8 a.m. in the 1000 block of Medary Avenue.

A fire marshal examines the scene of a fire at 1005 Medary Ave. in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
A fire marshal examines the scene of a fire at 1005 Medary Ave. in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Dec. 22.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer
    by Robert Moran
    Updated 
    Published 

A 21-year-old man died after being found unconscious at the scene of an apartment fire Tuesday morning in Philadelphia’s Fern Rock section, police said.

Firefighters responded to the 1000 block of Medary Avenue shortly after 8 a.m. and saw smoke coming from a two-story apartment building, said Fire Department spokesperson Kathy Matheson.

The man was found in the basement and taken by medics to Einstein Medical Center and pronounced dead at 8:39 a.m., Matheson and police said.

“The fire was placed under control at 8:23 a.m. The Fire Marshal’s Office is still investigating but has ruled out a space heater as the cause of the fire. The Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death,” Matheson said in an email.

“A very hard morning,” the Fire Department posted on Twitter.