Reading firefighters battled a fire in a three-story downtown apartment building Sunday afternoon.
The fire was discovered about 3 p.m. at 137 N. Fifth St. The first crews reported heavy smoke from the upper floors of the building. From the rear of the building, which abuts Church Street, firefighters reported heavy fire visible from the second-floor rear apartment.
Crews struggled with limited access to the fire and water supply issues.
They couldn’t get water from one hydrant and another nearby hydrant had extremely low pressure. Once a water steady supply was established, crews quickly extinguished the bulk of the fire, allowing firefighters to do a floor-by-floor search for occupants.
Crews responded a fire Sunday afternoon in the 100 block of North Fifth Street in Reading. (Reading Eagle – Michelle Lynch)
No one was reported to be trapped.
Crew needed to use saws and other tools to open up the roof of 137 N. Fifth and an adjoining building to allow smoke and heat to escape.
A second alarm was requested about 20 minutes
It wasn’t immediately clear how many occupants were displaced.
The middle-of-row dwelling is less than a half-block from the Sept. 3 blaze that displaced 38 people and at least one storefront business from two adjoining six-unit apartment buildings.
This story will be updated as more information become available.