Massive six-alarm fire tears through Allentown industrial building, damaging homes, forcing evacuations
A massive six-alarm fire ripped through a vacant industrial building along Allentown’s riverfront Wednesday night, forcing evacuations, damaging nearby homes, and plunging thousands of residents into darkness as firefighters battled the intense blaze for hours.
The fire broke out shortly before 8:45 p.m. on the 300 block of North Front Street, where flames rapidly engulfed a former furniture factory and spread to neighboring residential properties. Thick black smoke could be seen for miles as emergency crews from more than two dozen fire departments rushed to assist the Allentown Fire Department.
Authorities ordered residents on the 300 block of Front Street to immediately evacuate through their backyards while surrounding neighborhoods were instructed to shelter in place due to heavy smoke and hazardous conditions. Police and firefighters conducted door-to-door evacuations as temperatures near the blaze became dangerously intense.
Firefighters were forced to retreat from portions of the burning structure because of concerns about potential building collapses. Despite those challenges, crews succeeded in bringing the bulk of the fire under control after roughly two hours of aggressive firefighting operations.
The blaze damaged at least seven homes across the street, and officials confirmed that one rowhome caught fire during the incident. Emergency shelters and assistance were made available through the American Red Cross and Resurrected Life Church on West Hamilton Street for displaced residents.
The fire also triggered widespread utility disruptions. PPL Electric Utilities intentionally shut off power in the area to protect first responders, causing outages that peaked at approximately 3,500 customers. By Thursday morning, service had been restored to most affected areas, though hundreds of customers remained without electricity. UGI crews also shut down gas service to the impacted block as a precaution.
Officials reported only minor injuries, with one firefighter treated for non-life-threatening injuries and expected to recover fully. No civilian injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains unknown and is under investigation.
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(Sources: CBS News, NBC Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley News, Yahoo! News)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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