The Allentown Fire Department was scheduled to hold its annual memorial and awards ceremony Monday morning, but it had to be postponed because an entire platoon of firefighters spent all night Sunday battling one of the largest fires the city has witnessed in about a decade.
The long night continued into Monday morning as the four-alarm blaze at the mostly vacant four-story building in the 400 block of North Franklin Street continued to smolder and, at times, reignite, fire Capt. John Christopher said. The building, owned by developer and former mayoral candidate Nat Hyman, was a complete loss and is slated for demolition Tuesday, Christopher said.
Because firefighters have not been able to enter the unstable brick-and-timber building, the demolition will also mark the beginning of the investigation into what caused the massive Sunday evening blaze, he said.