ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A 68-year-old woman is dead after a fire broke out at a house in Allentown Tuesday morning, according to the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office.
Crews responded to the 400 block of Jerome Street after the fire broke out around 9:30 a.m..
At 9:37 a.m., the first arriving company found fire showing on the side of the home and declared a working fire.
“A second alarm was then called for more hands. The fire was up in some concealed spaces and then places that were difficult to get to,” said Allentown Fire Department Capt. Jonathan Hammel.
Crews conducting searches found the woman inside the house on the first floor. She was found dead, according to the Allentown fire department.
Photo courtesy of Donald Simon
The fire was brought under control shortly after the arrival of the second alarm companies.
Allentown paramedics transported four firefighters to a local hospital for treatment. Three were for heat-related illnesses, and one for a laceration.
All have been discharged and expected to return to duty soon.
The fire moved furiously through the two story home on North Jerome Street Tuesday morning, and although neighbors say firefighters arrived quickly, it was too late to save the woman inside.
“There was someone banging on the door, and I opened the door and the girl said is that your truck across the street and I said no. And then she ran to the next house and I saw the big fire,” said Sandy Simon.
Firefighters say the woman was consumed by the flames and heavy smoke.
She was removed from the house and she was pronounced dead at 10:38 a.m..
The coroner’s office said the woman has been identified, and her next of kin have been notified.
Out of respect for the family’s privacy as they begin to grieve, her identity will not be released at this time, Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio said.
Her name will be released after an autopsy Wednesday, according to Buglio.
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Don Simon says he grabbed his camera and began recording.
“Just the entire side of the house was just all orange flames. And the smoke, it was horrible,” Simon said.
Firefighters say the second alarm was called to relieve firefighters battling the sweltering conditions.
“That’s another reason that the second alarm was called, to bring more personnel. We’re able to just get our of our coats and rehab a little bit,” said Capt. Hammel.
The Simons tell us the woman’s husband was at work when the fire broke out.
“I’m like oh, this poor man is going to come home and find out that not only his house has burned, but his wife has passed away, it’s very tragic,” Simon said.
The residents, who are temporarily displaced, are being assisted by Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter of the Red Cross.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is being conducted by the Fire Marshals Office with assistance from the Allentown Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police and the ATF.