Around 12:45 a.m., emergency personnel were dispatched to the 500 block of West Arlington Street after a neighbor reported seeing flames coming from an abandoned home at 524 West Arlington Street. Shenandoah Police were the first to arrive on scene and confirmed a working fire on the second floor of the structure.
Firefighters responding to the scene faced challenging conditions, including cold temperatures and icy surfaces, as they worked to contain the blaze. Due to the extent of the fire, Shenandoah Fire Chief Rick Examitas requested a second alarm, bringing additional fire companies to assist.
Fire units from Shenandoah, Mahanoy City, Englewood, Frackville, Pottsville, West Mahanoy Township, Girardville, Sheppton, Ringtown, Nuremberg, and Ashland responded to the incident.
Ryan Township Emergency & Rescue Squad also responded with their rehab unit.
The fire reportedly originated at 524 West Arlington Street, which was said to be vacant, and spread to neighboring homes at 522 and 520 West Arlington Street, causing extensive damage. Flames also damaged the exterior of a nearby home at 512 West Arlington Street. The 3 additional homes damaged were occupied. 526 also sustained damage.
Firefighters battled the fire for nearly three hours before it was brought under control shortly before 3:30 a.m.
As of this posting, there was no word on the cause of the fire or how many residents were displaced or affected. The incident remains under investigation.
