Three-Alarm Fire Tears Through PA Strip Mall Barbershop

A fire Thursday night in a Northeast Bethlehem strip mall gutted a barbershop and sent smoke into adjacent businesses, including Valley Farm Market, Bethlehem’s fire chief said.

No one was hurt in the Stefko Boulevard Shopping Center fire, Chief Warren Achey said at the scene. It was reported about 8 p.m., and smoke could be smelled from blocks away as a plume rose above the mall in the 1800 block of Stefko Boulevard.

Crews from the fire department’s Lincoln Station about a half-mile away arrived to find heavy fire out the front of The Lion’s Den barbershop. The officer in charge quickly called in a second and third alarm to bring in more firefighters and trucks, including from Bethlehem Township.

Firefighters contained the fire to the barbershop, Achey said.

“It doesn’t look like any of the adjacent businesses were affected” by flames, Achey said about 9:10 p.m. as firefighters continued their efforts.

An adjacent coin-operated laundry, however, was filed with smoke, and Achey said smoke also got into Valley Farm Market next door to the barbershop and the H&R Block that is between the laundromat and Retro Fitness.

The front portion of the barbershop appeared badly damaged, its glass front mostly destroyed.

“We’ll do our best to try to get the other businesses up and running,” Achey told lehighvalleylive.com.

City fire Marshal Craig Baer was on scene investigating the cause and origin of the fire, Achey said. City police also interviewed several people.

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