Wilson Borough firefighter injured in downtown Easton fire; Pints & Pies to host fundraiser Feb. 27

EASTON, Pa. — A Wilson Borough firefighter was hospitalized in intensive care Friday night after falling from a ladder while battling a three-alarm fire at the Hotel Hampton rooming house in downtown Easton.

Robert “Bobby” Lewullis suffered multiple fractures, including to his back, and was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem Township. He told Lehigh Daily on Friday night that he was awaiting CT scan and MRI results.

Lewullis, a member of Wilson Borough Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 1914 and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, became trapped on the third floor of the five-story building at 462 Northampton St. after running out of air while searching for reported victims, according to a post by Northeast Bravest.

During his bailout, Lewullis fell approximately 20 feet from a 35-foot ladder.

Brandon Shotko, who works across the street, said he watched the fall happen from the rear of the building.

“He was in the back on the ladder coming out of one of the windows,” Shotko said.

The fire

Easton firefighters were dispatched at approximately 10:45 a.m. Friday for a reported fire in the basement of the building, which housed roughly 50 long-term residents.

Upon arrival, crews encountered a working basement fire that rapidly spread to the first and second floors and subsequently to the entire approximately 200-by-30-foot structure.

Firefighters conducted multiple rescues, assisting individuals trapped in various areas of the building. Multiple people were taken to area hospitals, according to Northampton County dispatchers.

Companies from Wilson Borough, Palmer, Nancy Run, Bethlehem Township, Williams Township, Forks Township, Lower Saucon Township and Phillipsburg assisted at the scene.

City officials are scheduled to hold a press conference at 10 a.m. Saturday, Easton City Councilman Frank Pintabone confirmed. The blaze knocked out power to thousands and forced the evacuation of the Crayola Experience.

The State Theatre canceled its Friday night performance of “Riverdance 30” and set up a warming center in its annex for displaced residents. Its digital marquee out front was changed to read: “Thank you first responders.”

A temporary shelter has been set up at Paxinosa Elementary School for displaced residents, Easton City Councilwoman Julie Zando-Dennis said. Donations are being collected starting Saturday after 10 a.m. at the side door on 12th Street.

Zando-Dennis said the greatest needs include clean clothing, coats, shoes, new underwear and socks, maternity items, and duffel bags or luggage for residents to carry their belongings.

Demolition begins

By late Friday night, the focus had shifted from firefighting to demolition. Crews from Bean Inc. Contractors and Rizz Containers & Disposal were on scene, digging into deep layers of debris to reach persistent hot spots that continued to reignite when exposed to oxygen.

“Because the debris is so deep, when we poke at it, oxygen’s getting in it and causing it to ignite again,” said Robert Rizzolino of Rizz Containers, who was on scene Friday night.

Firefighters remained in elevated positions, spraying water as demolition equipment churned below.

A middle section of the long, deep building had already been taken down by 10:30 p.m. A firewall separating sections of the building was still standing and appeared to have helped limit the spread within the structure.

Rizzolino said he did not know whether the rest of the building would also come down.

Shotko said the fire also spread to an adjacent building, shooting flames from its roof. The extent of damage to neighboring properties was not immediately clear.

Community rallies

As word of Lewullis’s injuries spread Friday evening, the community response was immediate.

At Pints & Pies Neighborhood Pub in Wilson Borough, where Lewullis is a longtime regular, fellow firefighters approached staff during dinner service to ask if they could set up a fundraiser on the spot.

“They were hitting John up today because we’re so much with the community — ‘Hey, can we do a fundraiser?'” said Zach Takach, a manager who has worked at the pub for 10 years, referring to pub owner John Kehm.

One of the pub’s bartenders took matters into their own hands, designing a flyer and posting it to social media within hours. By the time Takach and other managers caught wind of it, the event was already spreading online.

A “Fill the Boot for Bobby” fundraiser is now set for Friday, Feb. 27, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Pints & Pies, 2049 Northampton St., Wilson, Pa.

“As soon as everything was done, extinguished, all the boys went to the hospital, all the firefighters, and they’re there for him,” Takach said.

Takach said the pub has a long history of hosting community fundraisers, including annual events for local school programs. He described the Wilson Borough police and fire departments as fixtures at the establishment.

“Local firefighters, police — Pints & Pies is the neighborhood pub,” Takach said. “We are the neighborhood pub, 100 percent.”

The cause remained under investigation Friday night. Easton Deputy Fire Chief and Fire Marshal Chad Gruver told lehighvalleylive.com that the official cause and point of origin had not been confirmed.

Gruver said the fire moved faster than crews initially realized, spreading throughout much of the building by the time they arrived.

Shotko credited first responders for their work under dangerous conditions.

“Just giving a shout out to all the law enforcement and first responders,” he said, “because pretty crazy scene today.”

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This is a developing story. For the latest updates from Saturday’s press conference, including details on the K-9 debris search and shelter operations, read our full update here.