Several homeless after fire rips through Tamaqua double

Several occupants fled into the street and are now homeless after a fire at a double block house early Sunday.

Firefighters were dispatched to a report of a working structure fire at 12:15 a.m. at 126 Gay St., Tamaqua.

Upon arrival, firefighters discovered heavy flames shooting from the front of the house, also impacting 128 Gay Street.

“I was in bed and heard pounding at the front door,” said Patti Burke of 128 Gay St. She and Dave Schmer, who said he was still awake at the time, escaped unharmed, along with a pet dog.

It is unclear how many occupants lived at 126 Gay St. but neighbors said they saw several people fleeing to safety.

Firefighters had the blaze under control around 1:30 a.m. but remained on scene until at least 4 a.m.

Fire police then maintained vigil at the site until morning.

“The Red Cross will be contacting the families,” said Fire Chief Jim Connely.

In the meantime, Burke said she will stay at a furnished, unoccupied house across the street through generosity of a lifelong friend. The home was recently purchased by

Kevin Kellner, neighborhood resident. Kellner said he was happy to have the opportunity to help.

The house at 126 Gay St. address has been the site of recurrent police activity. According to neighbors, loud noises and disturbances have been an ongoing problem.

Last April, medical personnel were dispatched to the house and found a 44-year-old overdose victim deceased in an upstairs bedroom, according to police reports.

Late Saturday, some residents of the town’s North Ward reported hearing an explosion in the area shortly before the fire was reported. It’s not clear if the two incidents are related. The house at 126 Gay St. is owned by Marie Shellhamer of New Ringgold, according to courthouse records. It appears to have been completely gutted by the blaze.

At 128 Gay St., a home owned by the Burke family since 1944, the blaze appears to have impacted the second floor and a common wall between the houses. Damage is extensive and the future of the dwelling is uncertain.

Schmer was awaiting permission Sunday to enter the house to see if anything can be salvaged.

The intensity of the blaze also caused vinyl siding to buckle at 127 and 129 Gay St., two homes across the road, a narrow, one-way street.

Firefighters were able to keep flames from spreading to adjacent properties in the neighborhood of century-old wood-frame dwellings.

The Salvation Army provided food and beverages for responders.

Connely said he was awaiting arrival of a state police fire marshal to investigate and determine the cause.