BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A two-alarm fire Sunday afternoon on East Elizabeth Avenue has renewed urgent calls from Bethlehem firefighters and their supporters for the city to increase staffing, following what union leaders described as a “near perfect storm” of simultaneous emergencies that left no units available for additional calls.
The blaze at Pints & Pies Pub broke out shortly after noon, drawing every available fire crew in the city, according to Fire Chief Matthew Griffin. The department responded around 12:20 p.m. and found heavy fire and smoke coming from the building’s walls. Crews extinguished the fire around 2 p.m., Griffin said. No injuries were reported, though the restaurant was evacuated and its reopening date remains unclear.
As firefighters worked the scene, two additional calls came in elsewhere in the city — one on Linden Street and another on Summit Street on the South Side. With all units tied up at the Elizabeth Avenue fire, dispatchers were unable to immediately send crews to the third call, according to the Bethlehem Fire Buffs and firefighters union IAFF Local 735…