ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown firefighters battled a massive fire Wednesday night at a former industrial building near the city's riverfront, a blaze that quickly escalated to six alarms, damaged nearby homes and forced evacuations before being brought under control early Thursday morning.
Emergency radio dispatches indicated the fire had escalated to a sixth alarm shortly before 10 p.m., less than 90 minutes after it was first reported.
The blaze was reported at 8:41 p.m. on North Front Street near Gordon Street and Riverside Drive and spread rapidly. Thick black smoke poured from the building and was visible from miles away.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy flames engulfing the vacant former furniture factory, according to a news release early Thursday from the Allentown Fire Department. Crews mounted an aggressive attack from multiple sides of the structure using ground lines and aerial ladder trucks while working to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby properties.
The Allentown Fire Department urged residents in the surrounding area to shelter in place because of the heavy smoke. Radio dispatches also indicated some nearby residents were being evacuated.
Residents on the 300 block of Front Street were asked to immediately leave their properties through their backyards, according to the fire department.
According to the PPL Electric Utilities website, nearly 3,500 customers initially were without power due to the blaze. City officials said PPL de-energized portions of the area during the incident, while UGI shut off natural gas service as a precaution.
A shelter was opened at Resurrected Life Community Church (formerly Liberty Bell Church) at 620 W. Hamilton Street for those affected, and the American Red Cross also responded to assist displaced residents.
Around 11 p.m. Wednesday, Allentown Fire Chief Efrain Agosto said at least one rowhome was burning in the area, but he was not aware of any injuries.
"We don't know how it started, we don't know where it started," he said of the blaze. "You could barely stand here, it was that hot."
Agosto did not have an estimate of the number of residents displaced.
"It surprises me how far gone it already was (when I got here)," he said. "They were even chasing people off Front Street, that's how hot it was."
The fire department later confirmed flames had extended to a rowhome across the street from the former factory. Intense heat and fire conditions also caused portions of the vacant commercial structure to collapse during the firefight.
As of early Thursday morning, officials said the fire had been brought under control.
One firefighter suffered injuries while battling the blaze and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the fire department. No civilian injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Allentown Fire Marshal's Office with assistance from other agencies as needed.
The former factory building, which had been slated for redevelopment, sustained major damage in the blaze.
Updates on road closures, power restoration, and re-occupancy will be provided through official city channels, the fire department said.
