A pregnant woman and her two young children died Friday after someone set fire to their Strawberry Mansion rowhome, authorities said.
Two other people – a 54-year-old woman and a 2-year-old toddler – were hospitalized and are expected to survive after jumping from a window to escape the flames, officials said.
Firefighters responded just before 5 a.m. to the 2500 block of N. Corlies Street, where they encountered heavy flames on the first floor and smoke throughout the home, according to the Philadelphia Fire Department.
Though crews were able to control the fire within about 15 minutes, a 31-year-old woman was found dead inside a second-floor bedroom and two of her children, both 6 years old, were transported to a local hospital, authorities said. Both succumbed to their injuries.
Police said late Friday the fire was declared an arson and that an individual was taken into custody for further questioning; however, no arrests had been made as of Sunday, a PPD spokesperson told Metro.
The department’s Homicide Unit is investigating the incident, and anyone with information is asked to call or text 215-686-TIPS (8477).
Authorities have not publicly identified the victims, though multiple news outlets reported that the mother was Ashley Thompson, and a GoFundMe organized by her family says that her children Asad and Alayna also perished in the fire. The online fundraiser states that its purpose is to help cover funeral costs.
“A loving mother, daughter, and friend, Ashley Thompson was the heart of her family,” the GoFundMe description reads. “Her children were her joy, her purpose, and the light of so many lives around them.”
