Good News About Horrible Deaths in Philadelphia: City Sets Record for Fewest Fire Fatalities


Usually there’s one story to tell about death in Philadelphia: There’s more of it, and it’s usually more awful than it used to be. So it feels like the proverbial “man bites dog” story to bring you some good news: 2012 saw the fewest fire deaths in Philadelphia history. Just 25 people—including two firefighters who were battling a Kensington warehouse blaze—lost their lives to fire, and if that still sounds like a lot, Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said he remembers the city averaging more than 100 fire deaths a year when he joined the department in the 1970s. “I’m happy, but I’m not resting on our laurels,” he said. “We know there’s more to do. There’s 25 more people’s lives out there that can be saved.” [CBS Philly]