By Michael Bushnell
Northeast News

Firefighters were summoned to the 2600 block of Independence Boulevard Thursday afternoon on the report of smoke coming from a building. When they arrived, a second company was dispatched and firemen were ordered out of the building due to the intensity of the fire.

Tom Miele, general manager of Snyder’s Supermarket, noticed smoke coming from the windows of the upper floors of the building shortly after lunch and ran across the street to alert shop owners inside the building of the fire prior to the fire department’s arrival. One shop owner said he heard a “buzzing in the walls” that, according to him, “wasn’t normal.” Shortly after that, flames and smoke drove business and residential tenants from the building.

The building is home to a number of retail shops on the first floor with apartments on the upper two floors. It is the site of the famed Villa Capri Restaurant and the old Vista Theater.

Once firefighters are finished at the scene, Bomb and Arson detectives will investigate the fire and an official cause will be released later.

Check out our video of the blaze on our YouTube Channel.