EASTON, Pa. – Over 3,000 Met-Ed customers are without power in the city of Easton on Friday after a three-alarm fire at a multi-story building.
According to Met-Ed’s outage map, 3,503 customers are currently without power. That is 26% percent of Met-Ed customers in Easton.
275 people were evacuated out of the Crayola Experience building, which lost power, according to a spokesperson for Crayola.
Crayola will be closed for the rest of the day and plan to reopen on Saturday depending on the conditions of the downtown fire.
“We are working with Met-Ed to have it restored in non-affected city neighborhoods as soon as possible,” the city of Easton said in a Facebook post.
The American Red Cross confirm that they have deployed Disaster Action Team volunteers to the scene.
At least one person was hurt in the incident, according to officials.
The State Theatre, which is located across the street from the location of the fire, has cancelled Friday night’s performance of “Riverdance 30” at the request of the Easton Fire Department, the city said.
Flames broke out around 10:45 a.m. Friday in the 400 block of Northampton Street, according to Northampton County dispatchers.
Dispatchers say the person was taken to the hospital. The severity of the person’s injuries is unknown at this time. It’s unknown whether the person hurt was a firefighter or a civilian.
Jayson Wagner | for WFMZ-TV
Heavy smoke poured out of the building, which includes a mix of business and residential uses.
Crews struck three alarms to call more manpower to the scene. Fire companies from across the Lehigh Valley responded to the fire.
The Nancy Run Fire Company, which provided mutual aid to fire crews, said in a Facebook post that there were reports of occupants trapped in the building.
Jayson Wagner | for WFMZ-TV
The city says the roadway near the fire is closed. People are asked to avoid the area, as well as the 400 block of Pine Street.
WFMZ-TV | Heather Beck
There’s no word on what sparked the flames.
Stay with 69 News while the story develops.