PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A 60-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a massive fire in Allentown on Thursday that injured at least five people and displaced several families.
Officials said the three-alarm fire started around 4:30 p.m. along the 700 block of Cedar Street and spread through a handful of row homes.
At least three firefighters were hurt and two civilians were hospitalized.
About 30 firefighters and every truck in the Allentown Fire Department were on the scene. Allentown Fire Capt. Mike Pychinka said the frigid conditions made the job much harder.
“The cold puts a damper on our operations because you have to watch for slip hazards, and it’s not easy when guys are up on the roof working and it’s cold like this and everything is freezing up,” he said.
On Friday, police announced an arrest. Investigators said 60-year-old Santos Mota-Ramirez set the fire in an attempt to kill two people. He has been charged with attempted homicide, arson, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.