An elderly couple trying to stay warm was torn apart by a fire.
The two-story house blaze left an elderly woman dead and an elderly man hurt this morning.
Firefighters responded to the 1900 block of N Stanley Street in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia just before 9 a.m. to find a two-story home on fire.
Light smoke could be seen coming from the structure when firefighters arrived, according to Executive Chief Richard Davison.
An elderly man was outside the home. Authorities searched the home and found the woman, believed to be his wife, dead.
Medics rushed the man to Temple University Hospital in stable condition.
Neighbors identified the woman as Martha Frazier. They say she was in her 90's, had poor vision and little to no heat inside her home.
None of the six smoke alarms in the home worked at the time of the blaze.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
"We know that the fire started in a first-floor front room, said Deputy Commissioner Derrick Sawyer. "We know that they were using a portable heater and the fire marshal is investigating at this time -- trying to determine a cause."
Sawyer said it's possible the heater caused nearby items to catch fire.
Photo Credit: NBC10