Wire Tele-View headquarters decimated in blaze; seven displaced, none injured in near-catastrophe
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Flames can be seen coming from what's left of the Wire Tele-View building in Pottsville on May 23, 2024.
POTTSVILLE – The headquarters of a cable company serving central Schuylkill County was wholly destroyed in a blaze Thursday afternoon.
That blaze sent smoke billowing into the sky that could be seen from downtown Shenandoah.
It was also nearly catastrophic.
Firefighters were called to the Wire Tele-View building in the 600 block of East Market Street in Pottsville around 7:30pm and found the building engulfed in flames.
Not long after that, the walls came crashing down, nearly onto several firefighters.
Assistant Fire Chief Dave Leibel said no one was hurt in the collapse, which he described as a miracle.
The front wall collapsed into the street, atop a bucket truck parked outside. Several firefighters in close proximity narrowly avoided being struck.
Multiple explosions were heard, which he said could have been two vehicles inside the garage.
Leibel also said that there was gas service to the building, which led to a 300-foot evacuation zone until UGI could shut service off.
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Pottsville Assistant Fire Chief Dave Leibel at the scene of Thursday’s fire. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – A Saint Clair aerial operates at the scene. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Smoke can be seen coming from a home at the corner of Market and Wolfe Streets in Pottsville. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH/ SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – A Schuylkill Haven fire engine is parked near Lehigh Valley Hospital – Schuylkill. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – A cable box is seen in a puddle, washed down several blocks of Norwegian Street as firefighters battled the blaze. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Flames could be seen at the scene of Thursday’s fire.
A UGI spokesperson told the Sentinel they were called to the scene, as is protocol for a fire involving a property they serve, and were working to shut service off. That was done around 10:30pm, and firefighters then entered the ruins of the building to douse hotspots.
Flames had also damaged the buildings on either side of Wire Tele-View.
American Red Cross Disaster Service volunteer Patty Daley said seven people from three homes are being assisted.
Firefighters from across the county were called to the scene, including Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Haven, Saint Clair, Englewood, Tamaqua, and more. Rehab units from Ryan Township and Williamstown were also called, and out-of-town units covered the City of Pottsville.
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Firefighters from Mahanoy City, Frackville, and Tuscarora handle a CO investigation in Pottsville on March 23, 2024. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Firefighters from Mahanoy City, Frackville, and Tuscarora handle a CO investigation in Pottsville on March 23, 2024. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Firefighters from Mahanoy City, Frackville, and Tuscarora handle a CO investigation in Pottsville on March 23, 2024.
Those out-of-town units — Mahanoy City, Frackville, and Tuscarora — were put to work on a carbon monoxide investigation on Overlook Drive.
Leibel said no injuries were reported in the Wire Tele-View fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and a State Police fire marshal was at the scene Thursday night and will return Monday morning.
Wire Tele-View provides cable and internet service to part of Pottsville, as well as Port Carbon, Palo Alto, Tremont, Newtown, and Donaldson.
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