The fire was located at the former United Wiping Cloth Company, where it was said it now houses apartments.
As the first crews arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from the structure and after making an attempt to fight the fire internally, firefighters were called out of the building and crews attacked the fire from the outside.
The fire burned for hours and as of 7:30am (when Skook News left the scene), the fire was not under control.
Shenandoah Fire Marshal Rick Examitas reported that someone did live one of the apartments inside and they did make it out safely. Examitas said they had issues with the cold, water, wind, while fighting the fire plus making sure embers from the fire did not spread to surrounding structures.
The homes on nearby North Bower Street were evacuated as a precaution.
According to Examitas, the fire struck a 3rd alarm calling in units from all over Schuylkill County and also Northumberland and Luzerne.
A tanker task force struck a 4th alarm to ensure a sufficient water supply.
Shenandoah Valley School District also issued a 2 Hour Delay due to the fire.
As of 7:00am, the cause of the fire was undetermined.
