The initial dispatch came in at 1:05 p.m. for a reported house fire at 342 West Mahanoy Avenue in Girardville.
The first arriving fire chief reported heavy smoke coming from the area and quickly upgraded the response to a second alarm for a working structure fire, bringing in additional manpower and equipment from surrounding communities.
Firefighters battled intense flames and smoke for more than two hours as crews worked to contain the blaze. The fire was officially marked under control at 3:24 p.m.
All four connected homes sustained heavy damage as a result of the fire.
A state police fire marshal was on scene Thursday afternoon to investigate the cause of the blaze.
As of this posting, no information was available regarding victims or whether there were any injuries.
Responding to the scene were units from Girardville, Ashland, Shenandoah, Frackville, West Mahanoy Township, Mahanoy City, Gordon, Sheppton, Englewood, and Pottsville.
