The Nation - News from July 18, 1988

Fire spread through a row house in Philadelphia, killing four children, and the resulting smoke and falling electrical wires injured at least 16 firefighters, officials said. The blaze, which spread to an adjacent building, was under control in about an hour, and the cause remained undetermined, officials said. Two firefighters were electrocuted and were listed in guarded condition at Misericordia Hospital, said hospital spokeswoman Elizabeth Secor. Officials said that seven other firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation at Misericordia, while four were also treated for smoke inhalation at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.