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LUZERNE — A fire at a borough apartment building Tuesday night displaced five people and heavily damaged the building.
Luzerne police Sgt. Patrick Loftus said he arrived at 743 N. Walnut St. seconds after a caller reported the fire to Luzerne County 911 at 9:15 p.m.
“I tried to go into the building, and I was immediately met with horrific smoke and flames, so I turned around,” Loftus said. “Thankfully everyone had gotten out of the building by the time I got there.”
Fire companies from Luzerne, Kingston, Forty Fort, Courtdale and West Wyoming responded to the blaze.
According to Luzerne Fire Chief Ron Rahl, none of the occupants of the building were injured by the fire.
“The fire is still under investigation,” Rahl said. “It started in the first-floor, front apartment.”
Jerry Mrozinski, 29, is a resident of the apartment building, living in one of the units in the back of the building. He was hoping that his unit’s distance from the fire at the front of the building would be enough to save his belongings.
“Nothing was damaged when I was leaving the building, so I’m hoping there’s no more than smoke and water damage,” Mrozinski said. “I called my parents, so I think I’ll be staying with them for a while.”
According to Rahl, the American Red Cross was on scene to assist residents displaced by the fire.