Two people, a father and a daughter, are hospitalized after a fire broke out at a building in South Philadelphia early Wednesday morning.
According to Executive Chief of the Philadelphia Fire Department Daniel McCarty, fire crews were called to 26th and Tasker Street just before 7 a.m. on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, McCarty said they found heavy fire on the building’s second floor.
McCarty shared that one person, a woman, was rescued from the building, and she was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition. Another person, an elderly man, was trapped and had to be rescued by crews on the scene. He was also taken to a nearby hospital in crticial condition.
Family members at the scene told NBC10 that the man and woman are father and daughter.
“They got my uncle out. My uncle was stuck, and thank god they got my uncle and my cousin out of there,” said Nikki Branch, the victim’s relative.
A third person, a pastor, was also treated at the scene after they apparently tried to help rescue those inside.
Deborah Beatty, who lives directly across the street from the fire, told NBC10 that she ran outside to screams on her block.
“It was heartbreaking to see the daughter of one of the people who was up here, and she just kept saying I got to get my dad, I have to get my dad,” said Beatty.
The building, adjacent to a church, serves as a daycare, event space, and home, according to the pastor.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, McCarty said. The Red Cross was on site to assist community members affected by the fire.
“The fire marshals, they did notate to first in companies not hearing any audible working smoking alarms, so we’re also looking into that with our fire marshal investigating on scene,” said McCarty.
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