Five injured in two-alarm Valley Street fire
Sentinel photo by MARK EDDY<br> Fire damage.
Sentinel photo by SIERRA BOLGER<br> Pictured is the front of 35/37 Valley St. Thursday morning.
Photo courtesy of CITY HOOK & LADDER<br> A street view of Wednesday’s fire.
Photo courtesy of CITY HOOK & LADDER<br> First responders coordinate a response.
Photo courtesy of CITY HOOK & LADDER<br> Smoke billows from 35/37 Valley St.
Sentinel photo by MARK EDDY<br> Fire damage.
Sentinel photo by SIERRA BOLGER<br> Pictured is the front of 35/37 Valley St. Thursday morning.
Photo courtesy of CITY HOOK & LADDER<br> A street view of Wednesday’s fire.
Photo courtesy of CITY HOOK & LADDER<br> First responders coordinate a response.
Photo courtesy of CITY HOOK & LADDER<br> Smoke billows from 35/37 Valley St.
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LEWISTOWN -- Five people were injured and residents escaped through windows after a two-alarm fire tore through a multi-unit building on Valley Street late Wednesday night.
The injured included three firefighters and two residents, according to a published report citing officials. Their conditions weren't available Thursday.
Firefighters were dispatched at about 10:52 p.m. to 35 Valley St. for a reported apartment building fire with people trapped inside. Crews arrived to find heavy fire and occupants attempting to escape from the building.
The situation prompted commanders to request a second alarm, additional ambulances, and medical helicopters. Firefighters from companies in Mifflin, Juniata, and Huntingdon counties responded.
Local fire companies posted accounts of the response on social media Thursday.
People were reported jumping from windows as flames spread through the building. Firefighters also found occupants trapped inside and on balconies.
Crews worked at the scene for nearly four hours. The last units cleared at about 2 a.m. Thursday.
Firefighters attacked the flames from inside the building while other crews operated from the roof. Ladder crews opened sections of the roof to give interior firefighters access to fire that had spread through concealed areas of the structure.
Junction Fire Company sent a truck with four firefighters and a rescue unit with six firefighters. Its truck crew gained access to the rear of the property and positioned beside an adjoining building, allowing firefighters to reach the roof of the main fire building.
The rescue crew searched an adjoining building, helping with evacuation efforts and checking to determine whether the fire had spread. Junction firefighters then joined crews from Burnham Fire Department, Heritage Volunteer Fire Co. and Chief Logan Volunteer Fire Department in roof operations.
Granville Fire Company responded as part of the second-alarm assignment. Engine 16 laid a supply line to the scene and provided water to Junction's Truck 15.
City Hook & Ladder reported that 23 of its members responded. Its crews encountered heavy fire, trapped residents and people attempting to escape when they arrived.
McVeytown Ambulance sent a full-house response to assist Lewistown firefighters and Fame EMS. Its personnel were assigned to firefighter rehabilitation, where they monitored and treated first responders working under physically demanding conditions.
Firefighter rehabilitation typically includes checking blood pressure, pulse, and other medical conditions while providing crews with water and a place to recover before returning to work.
The fire displaced several residents. The number of apartments damaged and the number of people unable to return home weren't available Thursday evening.
The fire was the latest serious blaze to strike a multi-unit property in Lewistown. Firefighters also battled a second-alarm apartment fire on West Market Street earlier this month and a large Valley Street fire in October 2024.
Wednesday's response closed Valley Street and surrounding areas as fire apparatus, ambulances, and support units filled the neighborhood. Photographs posted by responding companies showed flames and smoke rising from the building as aerial equipment operated above it.
The Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal is investigating the origin and cause of the blaze. No cause had been released as of Thursday evening.
Additional information about the injured residents and firefighters, the extent of the property damage, and the number of people displaced wasn't immediately available.