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Easton News

West Easton fire investigation called off without results

fire wider shot.jpg
Ryan Gaylor
/
LehighValleyNews.com
Fire tore through this Easton warehouse on April 4, 2023

WEST EASTON, Pa. — An investigation into the origins of an industrial fire in West Easton has been called off without finding answers.

  • Officials from West Easton said investigations into an industrial fire there last month have come to a close
  • Nearly two dozen investigators, including from seven different insurance companies, inspected the site last week
  • West Easton Mayor Dan DePaul said the building is so badly damaged, it is nearly impossible to tell how the fire started

West Easton Mayor Dan DePaul said the building was so damaged, investigators couldn’t come to any conclusions as to where or how the fire started.

“This fire burned so hot they couldn't pinpoint a hotspot,” DePaul said. “There’s no way.”

"The fire burned so hot they couldn't find a hotspot."
West Easton Mayor Dan DePaul

DePaul said nearly two dozen investigators examined the site last week, including representatives from seven different insurance companies. The insurers are likely to continue their own investigation.

The fire, at 1550 Lehigh Drive, started in the early morning hours of April 4, according to fire officials. Borough residents nearby reported hearing explosions around that time.

Firefighters arrived just after 5 a.m. to find the 190,000-square-foot building engulfed in flames. Twenty-three fire companies from Northampton County ultimately joined the response, plus hazmat teams from Lehigh County and Bethlehem.

The building smoldered for days, at one point calling firefighters back to the site to put down a flare-up.

DePaul said this marks the end of the official investigation, overseen by borough police.

“I guess that’s it,” he said.