Auburn fire causes $1 million in damage, displaces 8

Yesterday’s fire in Auburn caused more than one million dollars in damage, and displaced 8 people.

The inferno was fully involved when firefighters responded to the call after 2:30am Monday. The blaze apparently started at the former Auburn Shoe and Auburn Knitting Mill on Bear Creek Street. Those properties are owned by Terry Shaner of Orwigsburg.

Fire quickly spread to the neighboring apartment building at 427 Bear Creek Street, owned by Bruce Dietrich. The four-unit building was home to eight people.

Firefighters from Schuylkill, and neighboring Berks and Lebanon counties needed several hours to bring the blaze under control. They had to also deal with natural gas lines that ran between the structures, feeding the fire. Reports indicate that the lines had to be shut off by digging up the street.

State police and local investigators continue to sift through the debris to determine a cause. Thankfully, no one was injured.