Published May 30. 2020 07:12AM
More than a dozen people are homeless after fire swept through an apartment building in Lansford early Friday evening.
Shortly after 6:30 p.m. the fire broke out in the 200 block of East Bertsch Street.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, dense, dark smoke was billowing from the front door on the lower floor, the rear of the building and the side of the building.
Initially, the call reported someone was possibly trapped in the building. A woman confined to a wheelchair lives there, but was led to safety by her daughter.
Lansford Fire Chief Joseph Greco said everybody in the six apartments inside the three-story structure managed to evacuate safely.
Greco said upon seeing the intensity of the fire when he arrived, he immediately summoned mutual aid,
“The fire was in the back rear of the first floor,” he said, adding that he has not yet determined the cause. He said he hadn’t yet evaluated the damages, but it might have extended to the second and third floors via an exterior wall.
“I called for the second alarm right away, it being a Friday evening. About 90 firefighters from multiple companies responded. I called the second alarm because it is a six-unit apartment, they were calling with entrapment,” Greco said. Neighboring buildings close by were also a concern.
He said the firefighters “did an excellent job,” quickly knocking the flames down. “It was a good team effort by everybody involved,” he said.
Reportedly the fire started in an apartment occupied by Daniel Dickman and Margaret Novitsky. Dickman said Novitsky is confined to a wheelchair with multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy.
He said he doesn’t know where he and Novitsky will go.
Their daughter, Jamie Bauder, and grandson, Jeffrey Cope, 10, were visiting at the time.
Dickman said they had just ordered pizza and were watching television when they heard a noise in the kitchen. “Then my daughter said, ‘the kitchen is on fire,’?” he said.
Bauder said she heard a noise, went toward the kitchen and saw the smoke. “I said, ‘Oh, my god. My dad’s house is on fire.’?”
She said she managed to push Novitsky to safety, with the heavy smoke was becoming difficult to endure.
“I got her out just in time,” Bauder said. “It spread that quick.”
Lansford Police officers immediately responded and said the fire department was on the scene within minutes.
Responding besides the Lansford Fire Department were firefighters from Summit Hill, Coaldale, Tamaqua, Nesquehoning, Jim Thorpe and Tuscarora. Lehighton Ambulance Corps also responded.
Area fire police members handled traffic control.
No injuries were reported.
A two-alarm dwelling fire broke out on the 200 block of E. Bertsch St. in Lansford Friday. Responding to the scene were Nesquehoning Fire Company, Lansford Fire Company, Summit Hill Fire Company and Jim Thorpe Fire Company from Carbon County, and Coaldale Fire Company from Schuylkill County. COPYRIGHT LARRY NEFF/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
RON GOWER/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
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May 30, 2020 at 06:14PM
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