Five people were taken to the hospital after a house fire early Friday morning in Allentown.
The fire on the 900 block of North Emery Street was reported just after 3:30 a.m. Responding firefighters were alerted to reports of people being trapped inside the house, according to Capt. Jonathan Hammel, a fire department spokesperson.
Firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the house, along with two people hanging out of windows on the second floor. Crews from the department’s Engine 6 and Truck 2 set up ladders and quickly rescued the two, Hammel said.
A third person was rescued from the rear of the home. Another three people were believed to be inside the residence at the time of the fire, according to Hammel.
All of the residents were evaluated by city paramedics, with five people transported to hospitals. Hammel said Friday morning there was no information available on their conditions.
The fire originated in the basement of the home and was quickly brought under control, Hammel said. The cause is under investigation by the fire marshal.
Six residents of the house, including a child, were displaced by the fire, according to Hammel. They are being assisted by the Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter of the American Red Cross.