The size of the fire can be measured by the amount of emergency response teams that came out to assist the Scranton Fire Department.
There are multiple fire agencies from surrounding communities that helped Tuesday, along with the American Red Cross and the Lackawanna County Emergency Management Team.
Within minutes of a massive blaze breaking out along the 900 block of Monroe Avenue Lackawanna County's emergency management agency kicked into action.
With so many fire crews responding from Dunmore, Clarks Summit, Chinchilla and elsewhere, the EMA's mobile command center was brought in to serve as headquarters.
Along with the Scranton's public safety director, emergency management crews worked to coordinate the teams fighting the fire.
"We have to have an incident command system set up where each individual and each department has a specific duty. So in a way it really is organized chaos," said Scranton Public Safety Director Ray Hayes.
As arriving fire crews were given assignments, firefighters being relieved of duties were aided by the Red Cross.
Inside recovery tents firefighters were given water and misting fans to help them cool off.
Red Cross volunteers were also there to make sure all the people affected by the fire got the help they needed.
"You just have to imagine. You come home and you don't have clothes or you can't find your toothbrush. Just the small things in life that we're there to help with," said Charlotte Wright of the American Red Cross.
Four students and a professor from the University of Scranton are among the 30 people left homeless from this fire.
A spokesperson from the university said they are offering housing to the students.
The Red Cross is providing hotels for the rest of the people affected.
There are multiple fire agencies from surrounding communities that helped Tuesday, along with the American Red Cross and the Lackawanna County Emergency Management Team.
Within minutes of a massive blaze breaking out along the 900 block of Monroe Avenue Lackawanna County's emergency management agency kicked into action.
With so many fire crews responding from Dunmore, Clarks Summit, Chinchilla and elsewhere, the EMA's mobile command center was brought in to serve as headquarters.
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"We have to have an incident command system set up where each individual and each department has a specific duty. So in a way it really is organized chaos," said Scranton Public Safety Director Ray Hayes.
As arriving fire crews were given assignments, firefighters being relieved of duties were aided by the Red Cross.
Inside recovery tents firefighters were given water and misting fans to help them cool off.
Red Cross volunteers were also there to make sure all the people affected by the fire got the help they needed.
"You just have to imagine. You come home and you don't have clothes or you can't find your toothbrush. Just the small things in life that we're there to help with," said Charlotte Wright of the American Red Cross.
Four students and a professor from the University of Scranton are among the 30 people left homeless from this fire.
A spokesperson from the university said they are offering housing to the students.
The Red Cross is providing hotels for the rest of the people affected.
