Easton’s fire chief has released information on why a major rowhome fire on Memorial Day weekend spread so quickly.
Easton Fire Department Chief Henry Hennings said in a Thursday news release that the rowhomes which caught fire on May 29 did not have fire walls between the properties.
The Pennsylvania Code defines a fire wall as one constructed of noncombustible materials, which has a 2-hour or greater fire resistive rating and adequate structural stability to restrict the spread.
Hennings also said the homes, which were built in 1900, shared a common wall with wood frame construction, with plaster and lathe or drywall. This, he said, allowed the fire to rapidly advance.
According to the release, the Easton Fire Department was dispatched at 3:42 p.m. for a dwelling fire at 911 Ferry Street.
Two minutes later firefighters arrived and found fire showing from three, three-story homes.
The incident commander requested a recall of off-duty firefighters and mutual aid to combat the blaze, which reached multiple alarms before being brought under control just past 8 p.m.
Hennings thanked the dozens of agencies that responded to the call.
In total, 39 fire departments from Northampton, Lehigh, Bucks and Montgomery counties, along with Warren County, New Jersey, assisted in the response, along with two EMS agencies, the Easton Police Department, three utilities and five other agencies.
Hennings said the damaged 15 homes and displaced 44 people. Its cause is under investigation.
A number of organizations have organized efforts to raise relief funds and supplies for victims.
The full list of responding agencies are as follows:
Northampton County (Fire Departments)
- Wilson
- Palmer Township
- Forks Township
- City of Bethlehem
- Nancy Run (Bethlehem Township)
- Bethlehem Township
- Hanover Township
- Upper Nazareth Township
- West Easton
- Williams Township
- Nazareth
- Northampton
- North Bangor
- Pen Argyl
- Wind Gap
- Allen Township
- Freemansburg
- Lehigh Township
- Tatamy
- Hecktown (Lower Nazareth Township)
- Lower Saucon Township
- Plainfield Township
- Mount Bethel (Upper Mount Bethel Township)
- Lower Mount Bethel /Sandt’s Eddy (Lower Mount Bethel Township)
Lehigh County (Fire Departments)
- City of Allentown and Assistant Chief Matt Eharth
- Whitehall Township
- Cetronia (South Whitehall Township)
- Greenawalds (South Whitehall Township)
- Catasauqua
- Upper Macungie Township
Bucks County (Fire Departments)
- Quakertown
Montgomery County
- North Penn Goodwill Canteen Service
Warren County NJ (Fire Departments)
- Phillipsburg
- Stewartsville (Greenwich Township)
- Lopatcong Township
- Warren County Fire Coordinator Steve Alpaugh
EMS
- Easton EMS
- Suburban EMS
Police
- Easton PD
Utilities
- Met-Ed
- UGI
- ESWA
Other Agencies Assisting
- Northampton County 911 Center
- Red Cross
- Easton Highway Department
- Williams Townships Highway Department
- Easton Codes Department
(Original air-date: 6/2/23)
