LEHIGH CO., Pa. - Fire crews from all over our area battled a major fire in Whitehall Township overnight on Friday.
The fire broke out around 3 am at the Independence Square Apartments complex at 1 Marilyn Circle.
WFMZ says several people had to be rescued from their balconies or through windows.
400 residents were evacuated from their apartments and 12 units were badly damaged, according to WFMZ News.
Fire Chief Mark Bilder of the Whitehall Township Fire Department told WFMZ News,"The first crews went into the second floor, they were met with smoke conditions, dark smoke conditions, a lot of heat."
PHOTO: Lehigh Valley Fire Scene Photos -
Andy Mercer, a resident at Independence Square Apartments, said, "I tried to make it to the stairwell that's closest to me, but the door was hot, and I opened it a little, and more smoke came in."
Michelle Mackowiak told WFMZ News she experienced the same thing.
"I went out my front window, the fireman put a ladder up and helped me down the ladder," Mackowiak said. "If it wasn't for that, I'd be dead.
The fire chief says they did face some difficulties fighting the fire. He says because there was so much smoke and heat involved, they had trouble locating where it was. They ended up finding it in a storage closet on the second floor.
WFMZ reported it's not clear what caused the fire.
Thankfully, no one was hurt in the fire, according to the news report.
The Red Cross is currently assisting 5 families. 11 of those are adults and 2 people are children. They're working on finding out how many people in total have been displaced.
"I'm very pleased on the efforts from all the firefighters on the scene. It definitely was a group effort, and obviously, as a fire chief, that makes me proud," Chief Bilder told WFMZ.
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