Flames broke out Friday night in the second floor of a four-story building near Seventh and Chew streets in Allentown, and drove out the residents of six apartments.

The blaze was reported 8:45 p.m. at 314 N. Church St., a brick apartment house behind the church on Chew Street.

Residents fled as Church Street filled with smoke. Witnesses said an entire room on the second floor was on fire, but they said they didn’t know what ignited the flames.

“It was a fire on the second floor, in the rear apartment,” city fire Capt. John Christopher said. “That apartment sustained heavy fire and heat damage. The fire also extended to an apartment on the third floor, in the area of the bathroom.” The rest of the building had significant water and smoke damage.

Two adults and two children lived in the apartment where the fire started. All utilities were turned off. All residents will have to find homes elsewhere until repairs are made.

“There’s going to be at least 20 people displaced because we had to shut down the whole building,” Christopher said. “We’re escorting people back into their apartments to get necessities, like a change of clothing and medications, but none of them can stay.”

The American Red Cross was asked to help the displaced with temporary lodging and other supplies.

At least two people appear to have suffered minor or moderate injuries, Christopher said. One was a firefighter who fell down a flight of stairs. He was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital-Allentown for a checkup.

The family who lived in the second-floor apartment went together to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Allentown. Christopher said officials believe at least one child in that family was treated there.

Allentown firetrucks were on the scene within seconds of the initial dispatch. Three alarms were called as reports came in of children in the building. Firefighters scrambled up a fire escape to check how far the fire had spread, and began hosing down the flames.

Walls and part of a ceiling had to be pulled out to attack hidden fires, and the blaze was declared under control within 45 minutes. A few hot spots broke out minutes later on the third floor, but the flames were put out fast.

“All in all, despite the confusion, it was a good, quick knockdown,” Christopher said.

Before they left, firefighters searched the building from top to basement to make sure everyone was accounted for.

The building has seven apartments. Six had tenants. One was unoccupied.

fwarner@mcall.com

610-820-6508