Cat Dies as Upper Milford Home Burns

A fire that reportedly began in the bedroom of an Upper Milford Township home around dinnertime Tuesday killed one of two pet cats living in the house.

Although the blaze at 3320 S. 7th St. was quickly extinguished, none of the five adults living in the home was able to stay there last night, according to Emmaus Fire Police Capt. Jeff Kuhns, who said that smoke from the fire had damaged the entire single-family dwelling.

Kuhns was on duty at the intersection of S. 7th and Furnace streets, helping to direct traffic as neighbors came home from work yesterday and tried to access their homes and driveways.

The Red Cross was called in about 5:30 p.m. to supply relief to the residents, and provided food and clothing to one adult, according to a Red Cross press release.

Emmaus resident Mike Aldinger, who lives at nearby 545 Furnace St., was heading home when he saw the smoke from the fire and drove up to the house to see what he could do to help.

“One of their cats died,” Aldinger said, “and there was an older lady who was taken to the hospital. Two rooms in the house were destroyed. All the windows were blown out.”

Fire crews from both the Vera Cruz Fire and Emmaus Fire departments battled the fire, and a tanker truck from the Lower Milford Fire Company was also on the scene.

In all, there were five adults, four dogs and two cats living in the home, according to scanner reports.