Note: This is a developing news story which may change as additional information becomes known.
A large fire late Saturday night reduced much of a well-known Lower Saucon Township banquet hall to smoldering ruins.
Numerous fire companies including Lower Saucon Fire Rescue responded to the multi-alarm blaze at 1770 Meadows Road, which recently has operated as The Moon of Saucon Valley but is perhaps better known to longtime residents as The Meadows.
The fire apparently began late Saturday evening, when the business was closed, although it is unclear if the building was unoccupied at the time. A wedding reception was reportedly held there earlier in the day.
Video shared on the Facebook breaking news page Newsworking shows the fire engulfing the banquet hall complex next to Saucon Creek, with flames extending 10 to 20 feet above the roofline. The smoke plume from the fire was visible throughout much of Lower Saucon Township and Hellertown borough, and the odor from it was detectable as far away as Fountain Hill.
Photos and video shared on the Northeast Bravest Facebook page captured the scene while the fire raged overnight, as dozens of firefighters fought to contain the blaze, which was eventually brought under control early Sunday morning.
According to a source, at least eight tanker trucks responded to battle the fire, and power was turned off to surrounding properties as part of the effort to fight it. The parking lot of the nearby Creekside Marketplace (Giant) shopping center was reportedly used by responders as a temporary staging area and was filled with firetrucks and other emergency vehicles.
The scene of the blaze is on the other side of the creek from the shopping center, which is located along busy Rt. 412. Salt was applied to the roadway due to the amount of water needed to battle the fire and the overnight subfreezing temperatures.
In addition to being a well-known wedding venue for generations, over the years the venue has been a popular setting for private and corporate events, buffet dinners, and community and civic events such as local chamber of commerce banquets.
Demolition of parts of the building that were heavily damaged was already under way early Sunday morning.
Acccording to Northampton County property records, the property’s current owner is Trabulsi LLC of Whitehall, which purchased it from L&P Real Estate Holdings LLC for $650,000 in May 2023.
The records state that the original 12,100 square foot structure on the property was built in 1950. Per the records, a 3,100 square foot addition was constructed in 1966. The property–which also contains outdoor decks and gazebos–is 7.12 acres in size and is located along a large bend in the meandering Saucon Creek, just south of Hellertown borough.
Firefighters’ ability to battle the blaze may have been affected by the fact that the bridge next to the venue is closed while a new bridge that is expected to open next year is under construction. That long-term road closure has essentially turned Meadows Road into a dead-end street, with the Moon of Saucon Valley at its eastern terminus, making it harder to reach.
Fire officials remained at the scene Sunday morning, where a demolition crew was removing damaged parts of the structure, as other parts of the collapsed building continued to smolder. PPL crews, Lower Saucon Township Public Works crews, Dewey Fire Co. Ambulance crews and North Penn Goodwill Service emergency canteen service were also present at the scene.
The blaze’s cause remains under investigation. According to a source, along with local and state authorities, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is involved in the effort.
