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Crews were called to the three-alarm blaze on the 1500 block of Liberty Street around 9:45 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 19, Allentown Fire Capt. John Christopher said.
A resident tried to escape the flames by jumping from the second-floor window to the first-floor roof, then to the ground, Christopher said. That person suffered minor injuries and was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest for treatment, he added.
A mutual aid firefighter was also taken to the hospital after accidentally injuring themself while grabbing a piece of equipment, he said.
The fire spread to the first and second floors, as well as the roof, the fire captain said. The fire was so heavy that it caused heavy exterior damage to two nearby homes and minor smoke damage to a fourth, he noted.
It took around 45 minutes for crews to take down the bulk of the fire, as they had to de-energize down power lines first, Capt. Christopher said.
The Red Cross was called to the scene to assist an unknown number of displaced residents, he said.
The cause remains under investigation by the local fire marshal.
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