1 year later, the townhouses will be demolished

Almost exactly a year after a fire destroyed 11 townhouses last Memorial Day, the scars still remain in Easton.

No one was killed in the holiday afternoon fire, which started in the rear of a home in the 900 block of Ferry Street. But the fire displaced about 45 residents, as strong winds spread the flames throughout the neighborhood.

Tamaya Smith, her daughter and son, who had rented a house in the 900 block of Ferry Street about a year earlier, were among them.

“It’s been difficult trying to go back,” Smith said. “I was able to salvage some of our clothes, but we literally lost everything we had. »

The charred remains of the buildings still stand, but demolition is finally expected to begin the Tuesday after Memorial Day.

The delay in demolishing the properties is due to several factors, said Sharbel Koorie, the city's chief code administrator.

The properties had to be demolished together, Koorie said, but the companies that insured the properties were working “at different paces” in processing claims, leading to delays.

City officials said last year there was no imminent danger to the public, but after months of bad weather, Koorie said, “We can't keep waiting.”

Cityline Construction of Allentown won the bid among four companies to demolish the homes, Koorie said. Company officials did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Koorie said the work could take two weeks and the Ferry Street portion will be closed to traffic.

“We've never had a demolition like this in all my years, something of this magnitude in a good portion of a neighborhood,” said Koorie, who worked about 25 years for the city.

Chad Gruver, the city's deputy fire chief, said the cause of the fire was never determined.

“Too much damage and excessive firing operations have hampered our ability to reach a final decision,” he said.

The investigation showed it started toward the rear of 913 Ferry St., Gruver said previously, with nothing to suggest it was placed suspiciously.

Fire destroys several homes in Easton on Memorial Day | PICTURES

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At least three other affected homes in the neighborhood were not seriously damaged and can be rebuilt, while three other homes suffered little or no damage, according to city officials.

Separately, the city's Redevelopment Authority had hoped last year to acquire the properties needed to build affordable housing. It was voluntary on the part of the owners if they wanted to sell to the authority, but the deal fell through, according to the authority's executive director, John Kingsley, because private offers to sell were too high.

“We weren't able to get a critical mass of properties,” Kingsley also said, and officials didn't want to complete the sale until demolition was complete.

“We didn’t want that responsibility,” he said.

Plans for what will happen to the damaged block, in the city's western district, remain unclear. City officials hope that in the long term it can become new affordable housing. For now, Koorie said, property owners will be responsible for maintaining their properties after demolition.

Online Northampton County records show Cityline owner Thomas Williams Sr. purchased six properties. Kingsley said he understands the company plans to develop affordable housing. “There seems to be a serious effort to try to rebuild the neighborhood,” he said.

Williams' company buys, sells and rehabilitates properties around the Lehigh Valley. His specialty is restoring homes damaged by fire or water.

The displacement of many residents has exposed a citywide housing shortage that has been exacerbated in recent years in Easton and other Lehigh Valley communities.

After living in hotels during the summer, Smith found a rental house in September not far from Ferry Street. She is grateful that her children can attend their schools, but she still struggles.

“It's just that we don't have everything,” Smith said, noting that her 6-year-old son, Amari, needs special toys and items to cope with autism. Her 11-year-old daughter, MiLynn, celebrated her 10th birthday three days before the fire.

“His birthday [was] this Sunday, so I’m trying to make the most of it,” she said.

“We take it day by day,” said Smith, who has worked in warehousing and home health care and is currently studying to become a cosmetologist. “People don’t realize how much a fire can affect you. »

The community rallied to help Smith and other residents. United Way of Greater Lehigh Valley and the Greater Easton Development Partnership raised more than $67,000 in financial and housing assistance. Some $36,000 was donated to Third Street Alliance to provide stable housing for families like Smith's. The balance of the donations went directly to residents.

Samantha Juchem organized the fundraiser after coming to Easton from her home in Kansas City, Missouri, to help her mother, Denise, who was among those displaced. An online site she helped start raised an additional $7,500 for victims.

Juchem has also remained in contact with the families and noted that many are still facing difficulties. One family is still looking for permanent housing, she said.

“Everyone is beyond grateful for the support the community has provided on so many levels,” she said.

At the same time, Juchem said that after addressing the community response to fire victims, she hopes officials will continue to review and develop the emergency management plan.

The Rev. Susan D. Ruggles, who helped coordinate monetary contributions while serving at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Easton, said things were never really the same for victims of fires or other disasters.

“For each person, they will do their best,” she said. “Everyone’s story will be different. But everyone has been given a list of people they can call on for resources. I haven't heard from them since we separated.

Many fire victims were renters, but they did not have renters insurance, according to Third Street Alliance Executive Director Alissa Baratta, who helped Smith and other families find housing.

Ruggles, who is now interim pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Lehigh Township, also offered a mini farewell sermon to anyone who doesn't carry renters insurance, which can cover many lost items after fire or other unexpected damage.

“If you write something,” she said, “say that if you rent, get insurance.

Morning Call reporter Anthony Salamone can be reached at [email protected].