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Philadelphia Officials ‘Almost Certain’ Christmas Tree Ignition Caused Deadly House Fire

By Tom MacDonald | WHYY
Published January 12, 2022 at 9:24 PM EST
Family members of 12 people people, 8 were children, who were killed in a row home fire, asked for privacy to grieve, outside the children’s school, Bache-Martin Elementary, on January 6, 2022.
Kimberly Paynter
/
WHYY
Family members of 12 people people, 8 were children, who were killed in a row home fire, asked for privacy to grieve, outside the children’s school, Bache-Martin Elementary, on January 6, 2022.

Philadelphia officials say they are "almost certain" last week's tragic fire that killed 12 people, including eight children, started when a Christmas tree was ignited by a lighter. WHYY's Tom MacDonald has this update.

(Original air-date: 1/12/22)
WHYY Regional News
Tom MacDonald | WHYY
WHYY reporter Tom MacDonald is a lifelong Philadelphia-area resident who has worked in the region since the mid-1980s. Tom started in commercial radio covering the MOVE standoff with police for WFIL-AM. He was also City Hall Bureau Chief, covering government and politics for more than a decade, for WWDB-FM.
See stories by Tom MacDonald | WHYY