ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Two people were rescued and 16 residents were displaced after a two-alarm fire tore through a multi-unit home Sunday morning in Allentown.
According to emergency dispatchers, firefighters were sent to the 200 block of North 17th Street at approximately 10:36 a.m. for reports of a working house fire with occupants trapped.
When crews arrived, they encountered active fire conditions inside the structure. One resident had escaped to a rear roof to avoid the flames and was safely rescued by firefighters using ground ladders.
Firefighters also conducted aggressive interior search operations. During those searches, crews located a second victim unconscious on the second floor. Firefighters quickly removed the individual from the building and turned them over to EMS personnel.
Both victims were transported to a local hospital and were reported to be in serious condition.
Due to reports of possible additional occupants trapped and the scale of the incident, command requested a second alarm, bringing additional firefighters and paramedics to the scene to assist with rescue, fire suppression, and medical operations.
Fire officials confirmed that all other residents were able to self-evacuate safely. Multiple searches of the building were conducted, and no additional victims were located.
Firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control in approximately 20 minutes, preventing further spread to nearby exposures.
As a result of the fire, approximately 16 residents have been displaced, and the building has been deemed uninhabitable.
No firefighters were injured during the incident.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Allentown Fire Marshal’s Office.
