ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A rowhouse fire in the 700 block of Cedar Street escalated to a third alarm on Thursday night, spreading to at least four neighboring homes. Officials indicated that this escalation required the involvement of all city firefighters, as well as two engine companies from nearby townships.
“Fires like this are hard to extinguish,” Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said. “It takes a while to get them fully under control.” Tuerk stated that he could see the flames from his office on Hamilton Street. He first received notice of the fire at 4:40 PM, around the same time crews responded to the scene.
“This is a tight, densely packed neighborhood,” he noted. “The fire spread to a couple of adjacent units, and smoke drifted to other units as well.”
Tuerk arrived at the scene to assist in any way possible, particularly since many of the affected neighbors and residents spoke Spanish, allowing him to help with translation.
Meanwhile, an Allentown police captain confirmed that this incident was under police investigation before firefighters arrived. “Police units responded to an incident at the scene, and the situation escalated from there,” Tuerk explained. “It’s still under investigation.”
Capt. Mike Pychinka of the Allentown Fire Department said that crews do not yet know the exact building where the fire originated, but 719 and 721 Cedar Street appeared to suffer the most damage.
