Ten displaced by West Hazleton duplex fire
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Firefighters at the scene of a duplex fire in West Hazleton.
WEST HAZLETON, Luzerne County – Ten people were displaced by fire in this Luzerne County borough Saturday afternoon.
Fire broke out at 13-15 East Clay Avenue around 4:30pm Saturday.
West Hazleton Fire Chief Richard Sparks told the Sentinel both homes in the duplex suffered “heavy fire damage” in the blaze.
He said he believes the fire began with a mattress at the rear of the home, though a State Police fire marshal has been called in to confirm that, and determine what caused the fire.
“The fire went right up the exterior wall to the second and third floor, windows were open and it went right in the windows,” Sparks said.
He said the flames made their way into the walls of the duplex, which made the firefighting effort difficult. Because of that, walls in the 13 side of the structure were torn up.
The bulk of the damage was at the rear of the duplex.
“Our firefighters did an outstanding job getting to the fire and knocking everything down, they really really did,” Sparks said.
He said three children, from 10-years-old up to teenage, were home at 15 at the time, while their parent and three younger children were at the 5th Street Playground a block away.
No one was hurt in the fire, Sparks said, though that family of seven and their neighbors, a family of three — two adults and one child — were displaced by the fire.
Firefighters from West Hazleton, Hazleton, and Hazle Township responded along with Greater Hazleton Ambulance and Lehigh Valley Health Network EMS, with the latter providing rehab, providing water and towels because of the temperature hovering in the 80’s.
Crews began clearing the scene around 5:30pm.
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