According to Tamaqua Fire Chief Tom Schlorf, food left cooking on the stove is to blame for the fire that started about 6:10 p.m. and damaged at least three other homes. Schlorf said the fire started in 116 N. Greenwood St. when Randy Lawson left the stove and went upstairs.
“When he returned to the kitchen, it was fully involved,” Schlorf said. “If you’ve ever witnessed a grease fire, it reacts very quickly.”
Lawson was taken to an area hospital with minor burns.
Lawson’s brother, William, owns the home along with the adjoining one at 118 N. Greenwood St.
Their sister, Paula Lawson, who lives at 118 N. Greenwood St., was not home at the time the fire broke out. That home sustained severe damage to the second and third floors.
Another home, 114 N. Greenwood St., sustained fire damage to the third floor and smoke and water damage to the lower floors. A vacant house at 112 N. Greenwood St. was also damaged.
“Both halves of the structure are destroyed,” Schlorf said. “Right now we are waiting for the Red Cross to get here to help the families.”
Fire personnel from Coaldale, Lansford, Pottsville and Summit Hill were on the scene, with companies from West Penn and Hometown on standby. Fire police from Tamaqua and surrounding communities provided traffic and crowd control.
A Tamaqua firefighter, Kevin Breiner, was taken to a local hospital with heat exhaustion.
It was unknown as of press time if any additional people were displaced.
“They did an amazing job getting this under control so quickly,” Tamaqua Mayor Christian Morrison said. “If it wouldn’t have been for the quick response, the whole block would be gone.”

lrichardson@republicanherald.com