A stretch of Route 309 in Wilkes-Barre Township reopened shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, nearly three hours after a fire broke out at a vacant commercial building near Blackman Street.
Firefighters from Wilkes-Barre Township, Hanover Township, Plains and Kingston responded after the first 911 calls around 6:15 p.m., according to Luzerne County 911. Heavy smoke was visible from the Cross Valley Expressway.
“The building was unoccupied, which was the best-case scenario,” the township fire chief said at the scene. “Our main concern was keeping it from spreading to the businesses on either side.”
What drivers need to know
PennDOT said both lanes are open. Drivers should expect lane restrictions Monday while crews secure the building and an excavator is brought in.
Detours ran through Blackman Street and Mundy Street during the closure, backing up traffic onto the Wilkes-Barre Boulevard for much of the evening.
Cause under investigation
A state police fire marshal was requested, which is standard for commercial fires of this size. Officials did not say whether the fire was considered suspicious.
The property has been vacant for more than two years, according to county assessment records, and was listed for sale this summer.
Our field team was on scene; the full video is above. Anyone with photos or video from the early minutes of the fire can send them through our tip line.
