Six-alarm fire in Allentown forces evacuations, cuts power to thousands

Fire crews were battling a six-alarm blaze in Allentown late Wednesday after flames broke out at an old commercial building on North Front Street near Gordon Street and Riverside Drive and moved fast enough to force evacuations in the riverfront area. The fire was first reported around 8:40 p.m., and emergency dispatches said it had escalated to six alarms shortly before 10 p.m.

The building’s condition and location raised immediate public-safety concerns as thick black smoke spread across the area and officials warned nearby residents to shelter in place. The fire also spread to a home across the street, deepening fears about how quickly the flames were moving through the block. Residents on the 300 block of Front Street were told to leave through their backyards, while police urged people to stay away from the scene and avoid non-essential travel nearby.

The smoke plume was visible from miles away, underscoring the air-quality risk for people living and working around the Allentown riverfront. Officials had not released a cause, and no injuries had been reported in the latest updates, but the speed of the escalation left little room for uncertainty about the danger posed by the structure and the surrounding block.

Power failures added another layer to the emergency response. PPL Electric Utilities said about 3,500 to 3,600 customers were without electricity because of the fire, affecting a wide area around the city. The outage came as crews worked to contain the blaze and protect neighboring buildings in the area.

City Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach said on Facebook that residents displaced by the fire could go to Resurrected Life, the former Liberty Bell Church, at 620 W Hamilton St. The American Red Cross also was responding as residents looked for shelter and information about where to go next. With the cause still under investigation and the fire continuing to draw emergency resources, the old commercial building at the center of the blaze became the focus of a broader question about what risks were present before the flames ever reached the street.