Three families totaling seven adults and two children have been displaced in an Allentown apartment blaze, authorities said.
Flames ignited just before 1:50 a.m. Friday at the three-story building, in the 200 block of North 10th Street, said Jonathan Hammel, captain of public affairs for the Allentown Fire Department.
Crews found flames extending from the second to third floor at the back of the building, Hammel said.
“Firefighters made an aggressive attack on the fire, bringing it under control quickly,” he said.
There were no reported injuries. It’s unclear if the residents all escaped on their own or had to be assisted by firefighters.
Fire officials have deemed the building uninhabitable.
Nicole Roschella, regional communications manager for the American Red Cross Greater Pennsylvania Region, told lehighvalleylive.com the organization’s Disaster Team is helping the families with shelter and other needs.
City fire officials are still investigating the cause.
The blaze is one of a handful of fires this week throughout the Lehigh Valley, including a fire Thursday at Heights Market & Deli in Bethlehem Township that left an employee injured; a house fire early Thursday morning in the 100 block of East Susquehanna Street in Allentown that displaced five people; and a blaze Wednesday that destroyed a church building in Bangor.
After a fire early Friday morning on River Road in Upper Mount Bethel Township, Mount Bethel Volunteer Fire Company Chief Christopher Finan Jr. urged residents to remember these safety points:
Ensure there are working smoke detectors/carbon monoxide detectors throughout the house and change the batteries every 6 months. Keep bedroom doors closed, especially when sleeping.In the event of a fire, “Get Out and Stay Out.”
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