38 people displaced, 6 homes damaged in Allentown rowhome fire

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- A rowhome fire in Lehigh County displaced 38 people and damaged six homes, the Allentown Fire Department said Monday.

Allentown fire crews responded to a rowhome fire at 30 South Jefferson Street late Sunday night, just before midnight. By the time they arrived, fire crews said the blaze had already spread into nearby residences.

Firefighters searched inside the home to ensure all the tenants were evacuated, before having to battle the blaze from the outside as the buildings began to deteriorate, the department said in a news release.

According to AFD, a resident and a firefighter were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, the remaining residents weren't injured. The firefighter has since been released from the hospital, AFD said.

Fire crews said that at least six homes were damaged in the fire, plus the structures bordering the rowhome sustained water and smoke damage.

The Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter of the American Red Cross said it is supporting 38 people displaced by the fire, AFD said.

"I woke up when I heard glass shattering and people yelling," Nancy Yepez from Allentown said. Yepez said she ran out of the home with her 15-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter.

Neighbors like Deborah Ongiri-Keyes are doing what they can to help. Ongiri-Keyes donated some dolls and clothes to Yepez's daughter.

"I don't know where they're going to be at tonight and I hope the best for them," she said.

Yepez and other displaced residents are salvaging what belongings they can.

"I lost everything, but that's nothing," Jhonathan Guamba from Allentown said. "The most important thing is that we're safe."

The blaze was placed under control in five hours, but firefighters were still at the rowhome as of 9:30 a.m. Monday.

It's unclear at this time what caused the fire.