Officials said an e-bike battery sparked the blaze on South Mildred Street.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — A 49-year-old woman died and a 4-year-old girl was critically injured after a fire tore through a South Philadelphia home early Friday, fire officials said.
The fire broke out around 4:45 a.m. in the 2600 block of South Mildred Street. Fire officials said investigators later determined the blaze was sparked by an e-bike battery charging inside the home.
Philadelphia Fire Department Executive Chief Daniel McCarty said the heaviest fire appeared to start on the first floor. Firefighters rescued three people from the home. The woman later died at a hospital. Another adult was hospitalized in stable condition, and the child was taken to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in critical condition.
McCarty said two victims were found in the first-floor kitchen area, where it appeared they may have been trying to escape. Crews brought the fire under control within about 15 minutes of arriving. Photos from the scene showed heavy damage to the front of the home and a charred e-bike outside.
Neighbors described a frightening scene as smoke filled the block before sunrise. Chris Adams, who lives nearby, said he woke to screams and came outside as firefighters and other first responders arrived. “All first responders were here. It was chaotic,” Adams said.
The building owner said the tenants had lived there since January and described them as close to him. Officials first said smoke alarms could not be heard when firefighters arrived, but investigators later found the home had working alarms that melted because of the heat.
The victims’ names had not been released. The fire investigation remained open Sunday, with officials focused on the battery, the first-floor fire spread and the sequence of events before firefighters arrived.
Author note: Last updated June 21, 2026.