Two Kids Arrested After Massive Fire Destroys Homes and Leaves Families Homeless

Two minors have been arrested after authorities say they sparked a massive fire in Pennsylvania that tore through several buildings, destroyed homes and left multiple families with nowhere to go.

The blaze broke out around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday at an abandoned warehouse on Front Street in Allentown, according to local station WPVI. Investigators say the two unidentified children set the fire before it quickly grew out of control.

What started inside the old warehouse soon turned into a six-alarm inferno. The flames spread across the street and damaged eight homes, six of which were destroyed, the outlet reported.

Seven families were displaced by the disaster.

Neighbors were stunned by the destruction — and even more shocked to learn the alleged suspects were children.

“This is my home,” resident Robert Velez told WPVI. He said his wife was visiting relatives when the fire ripped through the area.

“She’s really devastated,” he said. “It’s just crazy that any kids did that.”

Another local resident, Ben Pope, said he had never seen anything like it.

“Never seen anything like this,” he told the outlet. “It’s sad they just ruined the rest of their lives — all for nothing. Affected all of these people.”

Fire officials said the flames did not have to directly jump from the warehouse to cause the damage. The heat alone was powerful enough to ignite nearby homes.

“It wasn’t so much the flames that jumped over as much as it was radiant heat; it was that hot,” Allentown Fire Department Chief Efrain Agosto Jr. said.

“The heat itself just basically took over.”

One firefighter suffered minor injuries while battling the blaze. No other injuries were reported.

The Lehigh County District Attorney announced Friday that both minors are facing charges including arson, recklessly endangering another person, conspiracy and causing a catastrophe.

Because of their ages, the suspects will be handled through the juvenile court system. They are currently being held at a juvenile detention center.

The warehouse had once been home to the American Atelier furniture factory and was expected to become part of a major neighborhood redevelopment project.

According to The Morning Call, the building was slated to be transformed into a 16-story mixed-use development with 360 apartments and 21,000 square feet of office and retail space.