An elderly man died in a house fire this morning in the city’s Somerton section.
The fire was reported on the 300 block of Buxmont Street around 8 a.m., officials said. When they arrived, firefighters encountered heavy smoke in the basement of the two-story home. The fire was placed under control at approximately 8:27 a.m. One person was safely evacuated, but an elderly man was found dead in the basement, according to fire officials.
The fire department did not release the man’s. WPVI-TV reported that he was 70 years of age and the brother of a retired Philadelphia police officer.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation. The home did not have any smoke detectors, officials said.
