The fire that took the lives of a pregnant woman and her two children in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia was purposely started, according to the officials who discussed the incident.
An investigation into the cause of the fire was being conducted earlier on Friday by the fire department, the police, and the ATF. The front steps were the primary focus of the investigation, as accelerant detecting dogs continued to direct investigators there.
Moreover, according to the police, a person of interest is currently being held in jail.
A residence on Corlies Street, next to Cumberland Street, was the location where the fire started on Friday, June 13, 2025, just before five o’clock in the morning, as stated by the authorities.
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At the time that the fire broke out, there were a total of five persons inside the house, according to the officials. There are three offspring and two females.
A member of the family stated that the deceased woman was identified as Ashley Thompson, who was 31 years old. According to the family, she was seven months pregnant at the time of her death, and her children, Alayah and Asad, were four and five years old.
According to Chyna, a member of the family who also resided in the house, “Innocent kids, my nephew just graduated yesterday.” “Assad, that little boy, he just graduated yesterday.”
“I am in pain. In addition, she stated, “I just left the house and saw her and everybody yesterday, and I don’t even feel real.”
According to the authorities, another woman, whom they identified as the grandmother, is still in serious condition at the hospital, and a child who is one year old is in stable condition.
By jumping out of the window, the grandma was able to get away from the house while she was traveling with the child.
Indeed, Yessenia Nieves, a neighbor, remarked that the speed was quite rapid. By the time my husband arrived downstairs, the window had already been completely consumed by flames when we peered out the window. It was too late to save anyone else because she had already leaped out of the window, and there was no way to get back in.
It was discovered that Thompson had passed away on the second floor, and the two children had also passed away after being taken to the hospital.
It was reported by the authorities that the fire spread so rapidly throughout the house that the people who were inside had very little opportunity to flee.
