ALLENTOWN, PA – A massive fire ripped through a vacant furniture factory and spread to multiple surrounding homes in Allentown on Wednesday night, forcing neighborhood evacuations and knocking out power to thousands.
Furniture Factory Engulfed
The blaze broke out in the 300 block of Front Street. Aerial footage from the scene showed intense flames completely engulfing a vacant old furniture factory before jumping to nearby residential properties.
Firefighters were seen entering adjacent buildings to search for trapped residents and extinguish hot spots on rooftops.
Evacuations and Shelter-in-Place Orders
As the fire intensified, authorities issued urgent safety orders for the community:
- Evacuations: Residents living in the immediate path of the fire were ordered to evacuate.
- Shelter-in-Place: People in the surrounding neighborhoods were told to remain indoors and seal windows.
- Travel Alert: Police requested that all motorists avoid non-essential travel to the Front Street area to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles.
By 11:00 p.m., fire crews managed to knock down the heaviest flames, though significant smoke and glowing embers continued to blanket the area.
Widespread Power Outages
The intensity of the fire severely impacted the local electrical grid. An emergency outage map showed that around 3,500 customers lost power at the height of the incident around 10:15 p.m. Utility crews worked quickly, cutting that number down to roughly 2,100 outages by 11:05 p.m.
Air Quality and Investigation
Local meteorologists confirmed that while the broader city-wide air quality was not compromised, the immediate area surrounding Front Street remains hazardous due to heavy smoke.
The cause of the fire is officially under investigation by Allentown police and fire officials.
