A six-alarm fire at an old commercial building in Allentown, Pennsylvania, around 8:40 p.m. Wednesday forced nearby residents to evacuate and shelter in place, Lehigh County Dispatch said. The blaze raged for hours before being brought under control and destroyed the industrial building.
Officials asked residents on the 300 block of Front Street to exit their homes through their backyards, PPL Electric Utilities shut off power leaving about 3,600 customers without service, and so far no injuries have been reported; the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania said it is responding to the fire and it is unclear how the fire started.
The blaze burned a warehouse on North Front Street that had been a former factory and damaged eight homes across the street, displacing several residents, and smoke from the fire was visible from miles away.
A shelter was available at a church for displaced residents.