By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A six-alarm fire broke out Wednesday around 8:40 p.m. at the former American Atelier furniture factory at 249 N. Front Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania, sending thick black smoke visible from miles away into the air.
- The massive blaze spread to at least one row home across Front Street; residents on the 300 block were evacuated and others issued shelter-in-place orders due to heavy smoke.
- Fire Chief Efrain Agosto reported no known injuries; flames were described as so intense they could be felt from across the street.
- Power was cut to neighborhoods affecting 3,483 PPL customers; the Red Cross and local churches opened shelters for displaced residents.
- Firefighters continued battling the blaze into early Thursday morning; the building had been scheduled for demolition to make way for a mixed-use development project.
ALLENTOWN, PA. — A six-alarm fire consumed a vacant former furniture factory on Wednesday evening, spreading to nearby residential structures and forcing evacuations and shelter-in-place orders across the riverfront neighborhood.
The fire erupted around 8:40 p.m. at the former American Atelier furniture factory, located at 249 N. Front Street near Gordon Street along Riverside Drive. The blaze sent a large plume of thick black smoke into the air, visible from miles away.
Fire Chief Efrain Agosto reported no known injuries at the time. Agosto stated that upon arrival at the scene shortly after the fire broke out, the flames were of such intensity that the heat was felt from across the street.
The fire spread to at least one row home located across Front Street from the factory. Residents on the 300 block of Front Street were instructed to evacuate by exiting through their backyards, according to Fire Captain Joshua Brubaker. Other residents in the surrounding area were issued shelter-in-place orders due to the heavy smoke blanketing the neighborhood.
The intensity of the fire created conditions visible from multiple blocks away, with flames shooting high into the air and water running down streets in the surrounding area. Some residents standing several blocks away on Front Street reported their vehicles were parked closer to the burning factory.
Utility company PPL cut power to sections of the city’s 6th Ward and 1st Ward neighborhoods, affecting 3,483 customers as of 10 p.m. Wednesday. The power outages added to the chaos and displacement of area residents.
The Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter mobilized to open a shelter for displaced residents. Additionally, Pastor Gregory Edwards opened the Liberty Bell church on Hamilton Street to provide a refuge for residents who needed temporary housing. Displaced residents gathered at Buck Boyle Park, across Riverside Drive behind the burning factory, to watch firefighting operations and await information about returning to their homes.
Resident Rafael Ruiz, of the 200 block of North Front Street, described being awakened by firefighters banging on his door ordering evacuation. Ruiz stated he was initially uncertain of the situation due to confusion from the power outage and the urgent nature of the evacuation order.
County Executive Josh Siegel attended the scene after leaving a Lehigh County Board of Commissioners meeting. Siegel praised the collaborative mutual aid response, noting the numerous fire departments from multiple counties coordinating suppression and assistance efforts.
The American Atelier building had been slated for demolition under plans submitted by Urban Residential Properties. The development project calls for construction of a new mixed-use building containing 267 apartments, 21,000 square feet of office space, and 23,000 square feet of retail and commercial space. The structure is located near Urban Residential’s Neuweiler Lofts project at the site of the former Neuweiler Brewery.
Firefighters continued active suppression operations into early Thursday morning as the massive fire continued to consume the historic factory structure.