A fire that completely engulfed a Lower Saucon Township banquet hall Saturday night was fought under difficult conditions, and local officials are thanking the firefighters who bravely battled the blaze.
“This tragedy has reminded us once again of the vital importance of volunteerism,” Hellertown Mayor David Heintzelman shared on Facebook. “I extend my sincere gratitude to the dedicated volunteers who braved extremely cold conditions to prevent the fire from spreading. Their courage, commitment and professionalism reflect the very best of our community.”
Lower Saucon Township Councilwoman Priscilla deLeon cited a Lower Saucon Fire Rescue news release about the fire to highlight how dangerous the situation was.
The news release noted that firefighters were forced to battle an inferno with limited water supply due to a lack of hydrants in the area “combined with access restrictions due to ongoing replacement of the Meadows Road bridge.” As a result, numerous tanker trucks were needed to bring water to the fire, which took hours to bring under control.
“I extend my deepest gratitude to every firefighter, EMT, police officer and support volunteer who worked through the night and returned today to ensure the scene was safe,” deLeon shared.
“My heart goes out to the current and former owners, and to the many people who have cherished memories from events held there over the years,” she added. “This loss is deeply felt throughout our Township.”
The fire at the Moon of Saucon Valley (formerly known as The Meadows) at 1770 Meadows Road was reported shortly before 11 p.m., and necessitated a large response by fire companies from throughout Northampton, Lehigh and Bucks counties.
Fire crews remained at the scene of the Moon of Saucon Valley fire for approximately 10 hours, and then spent several hours cleaning equipment, according to Lower Saucon Fire Rescue officials. The large fire began late Saturday evening, and when responding firefighters arrived at the scene “they found heavy fire throughout the building,” a news release said.
According to the Lower Saucon Fire Rescue release, those companies included Dewey Fire Co. No. 1 (Hellertown), Palisades Regional Fire Rescue, Nancy Run Fire Co., Bethlehem Township Volunteer Fire Co., Freemansburg Volunteer Fire Co., Williams Township Fire Co., Allen Township Fire Co. No. 1, Hecktown Volunteer Fire Co., Upper Nazareth Fire Dept., Eastern Salisbury Fire Dept., Quakertown Fire Co. No. 1, Catasauqua Fire Dept., Palmer Municipal Fire Dept., Bath Volunteer Fire Dept., Richlandtown Fire Co. and Hanover Township Volunteer Fire Co.
Fire officials said a crew returned to the fire scene Sunday afternoon to work with an excavator to extinguish several “hot spots” that remained in areas of the building that had collapsed.
They said in the release that the fire is now under investigation by the township fire marshal, the Lower Saucon Fire Rescue fire investigator, Lower Saucon Township Police and the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal.
Located along the Saucon Creek, just off Rt. 412 south of Hellertown, the Moon of Saucon Valley is a 75-year-old banquet facility well-known throughout the area for hosting wedding receptions, private parties and other events for generations.