Trending Topics

Pa. firefighters quickly contain 2-alarm restaurant fire

Allentown firefighters faced heavy smoke and flames at the rear addition of the Happy Garden restaurant, as residents in the apartments above escaped safely

By Rudy Miller
The Express-Times

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Quick-acting firefighters kept heavy smoke and tongues of flame from moving beyond the rear of a three-story Allentown building with apartments and a Chinese restaurant, according to a news release from the city fire department.

The battle against the blaze began around 3:30 a.m. Thursday at the Happy Garden restaurant at 501 N. Seventh St., the release says. The two-alarm fire was brought under control in two hours.

Photos of the fire depict heavy smoke and tall flames consuming the top of a two-story addition to the rear of the three-story commercial building, including flames shooting from a commercial grill vent.

The building has a restaurant on the first floor and apartments on the second and third floors, according to property records. The residents got out safely, firefighters said. Firefighters did not say how many people live in the building.

The residents are temporarily displaced because the building has no heat. They refused assistance from the Red Cross, the fire department said.

The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

Trending
Firefighter/EMTs with Sky Valley Fire administered CPR, oxygen therapy and naloxone to revive six dogs in critical condition
Fire Chief Jaime Moore said he is focused on future improvements, not assigning blame, after acknowledging that the official after-action report downplayed leadership failures
Reports of people trapped inside prompted Fresno firefighters to force entry and conduct searches in a boarded-up office building during a 2-alarm fire
Crews rescued residents from upper floors as a fast-moving fire injured dozens and drew mutual aid from Orange, Bloomfield, Montclair, Irvington, Millburn and West Orange

©2025 Advance Local Media LLC.
Visit lehighvalleylive.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Company News
Representing the 4,000th PUC Pump milestone, three new Pierce Velocity PUC Pumpers will enhance the Clark County Fire Department’s ability to protect one of the nation’s most dynamic and demanding response areas