FULLERTON, PA - The Lehigh County 911 Center received an activated alarm for an apartment fire on October 25th at 2:54 a.m., to which the Whitehall Fire Department responded. This large three-story complex is called Independence Square Apartments, located at 1 Maryland Circle, consisting of 132 apartments.

Incoming companies had a smoke condition circulating throughout the massive building coming from a second-floor storage closet fire. As firefighters were waking up residents for rescue, the medical community was alerted for a Level 3 Mass Causality Incident. Some 400 residents were eventually evacuated from the building. They spent time in their cars, with neighbors, or went to a Red Cross shelter set up at Temple Bethel El 1395 Spring House Rd. in South Whitehall Twp.

The blaze went to three alarms, with six out of the 12 affected apartments receiving severe heat and water damage. Balcony rescues were made by ground ladders or by Fullerton's tower truck. Thankfully, there were no major injuries.