Fire broke out Saturday evening at an apartment complex in Whitehall Township.
The fire was reported around 8:20 p.m. at the Fairmont Place Apartments on Maryland Circle, according to the Emergency Alerts of Lehigh County Facebook page.
Photos and video shared to social media showed flames and heavy smoke coming from the building. A PennDOT traffic camera showed heavy smoke billowing into the sky near the complex, which is near Route 22 and Macarthur Road.
The blaze had gone to 3 alarms by around 8:30 p.m. Just before 9 p.m., the fire was reported to be advancing from the second floor to the third floor, according to emergency radio dispatches. A fourth alarm was struck a short time later.
Around 9:20 p.m., firefighters reported they had knocked down the blaze, according to radio dispatches. Emergency responders reported that a bus was being sent to evacuate displaced residents of the complex.
The fire started as light snow began to fall across the region amid freezing temperatures.
The American Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter is assisting residents of the complex displaced by the fire. It opened an emergency shelter Saturday at Whitehall High School at 3800 Mechanicsville Road, where it is providing food, supplies, emotional support and other assistance, according to spokesperson Cristina Maisel.
Maisel said that 19 people stayed at the shelter overnight, though more continued to stop in Sunday.
“We will continue to be there for those affected,” Maisel said.
Later Sunday, it moved the emergency shelter to Berrier Hall at Lehigh Carbon Community College to allow the school to resume normal operations.
Anyone in need of Red Cross assistance should call 1-800-733-2767. All assistance is provided for free.
Mike Flores, who captured video of the blaze from his apartment in a separate complex across from Fairmont Place, said he was watching television Saturday evening when he heard what he described as a loud bang sounding like an explosion.
“I go outside and look and I see fire coming out of the window and door leading to the porch, and I see dozens of cops and about six to seven fire trucks,” he said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.