New Delhi, June 25 -- A six-alarm fire tore through a former furniture factory in Allentown, Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, forcing several residents to evacuate their homes, a fire official said.

According to media reports, City Assistant Fire Chief Jon Steed noted that the fire was reported around 8:40 PM (local time) on Wednesday at a former factory in the 300 block of North Front Street. As the flames spread to nearby homes, at least seven families were displaced, officials noted.

Authorities also said residents were evacuated overnight, and power outages affected numerous homes in the area.

Firefighters arrived to find the large, unoccupied commercial building engulfed in intense flames, with thick plumes of black smoke visible fro...