Nearly two dozen displaced in Mount Carmel blaze; multiple injured
MOUNT CARMEL – Flames ravaged a row of homes in this Northumberland County community early Monday morning, injuring multiple firefighters and a resident.
The Mount Carmel Fire Department was called to the 200 block of South Poplar Street around 12:30am and crews remained at the scene until 1:30pm.
“I only live right across the bridge coming into Mount Carmel. By the time I hit the bridge, the sky was a red glow,” Borough Fire Chief Jim Reed told the Sentinel at the scene. “It was fully-involved with at least four of them right off the start.”
At least six homes were decimated in the blaze.
Reed said multiple firefighters suffered minor injuries, as did a resident.
Crews from across east-central Pennsylvania were called to fight the blaze or cover companies in the region. Shenandoah’s Rescue Hook and Ladder Co. covered Mount Carmel during the firefight.
Reed said a State Police fire marshal was at the scene to investigate.
“It will be ruled undetermined,” Reed said. “There’s just too much damage to even try to follow the fire flow. Probably within the first few minutes, things were starting to collapse.”
According to the American Red Cross, 23 people — 15 adults and eight children — were assisted after the blaze.
Occupants were able to shelter at a nearby firehouse.
Reed expressed thanks to the firefighters near and far and the community members and businesses who assisted.
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