3-alarm fire in Northampton County burns 15 homes, leaving dozens displaced: Officials
The flames were reported shortly after 4 p.m.
EASTON, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A massive 3-alarm fire that erupted in Easton, Northampton County, on Monday afternoon left several homes burned and dozens of people displaced.
Officials say at least 15 rowhomes on the 900 block of Ferry Street were damaged in the fire.
Fortunately, no residents were injured or needed to be rescued. However, five firefighters suffered minor injuries due to battling the flames, and three were medically treated, according to officials.
Officials say the blaze broke out at approximately 3:30 p.m. Firefighters responded quickly and got the fire under control.
Due to the extensive damage the blaze caused, dozens of families are now displaced.
"I was in my house watching TV when neighbors told me there was a fire. I came out and this one was burning up," said Kevin Maxwell, a resident of the burned homes.
Maxwell is an Army veteran and credits his neighbor with alerting him to get out of the building.
He says he fled as quickly as he could but now is unsure what he may have left behind.
One gracious neighbor retrieved Maxwell's father's American flag, one of his prized possessions.
"I'm thinking of all the sentimental stuff I lost, so I can imagine what they lost in those houses," Maxwell said.
Jemima Arcos, another resident of the building, says she and her family had to hustle to get Arcos' father to safety when the flames erupted.
Her father has terminal cancer. She was able to get him out of the home safely, but tragically, the family lost both of their pet cats.
"We made it out, luckily, by a split hair. By the time we got outside the flames were in my room and it was filled with smoke," said Arcos. "I'm still in shock, I can't believe this happened. We were just home and all the houses literally burnt down."
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, officials say.
For families who may have lost a home, the Red Cross says it is opening a shelter at the Paxinosa Elementary School in Easton.
