Eight people were displaced from their home following a fire Monday afternoon in Lehighton.

Borough fire Chief Patrick Mriss said the blaze broke out at around 2:45 p.m. at a single one-half duplex at 496 N. First St. He said 498 N. First St. had three units.

“There was heavy fire to the rear of 496 on the exterior, minor extensions into the building through windows that were compromised by the heat and intensity of the fire,” Mriss said.

Mriss said it took firefighters about a half-hour to knock the fire down, adding that the home is uninhabitable due to the loss of utilities. There was no structural damage to the building, he said.

A bystander who was helping at the scene was transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation, but was released back in the area by the time firefighters left, Mriss said.

He said the cause of the fire is under investigation by a state fire marshal.

Mriss said firefighters were on scene for about 2½ hours.

Also assisting at the scene were the Franklin Township Fire Department, Mahoning Valley Fire Department, Lehighton ALS, and Lehighton Fire Police.

Mriss praised firefighters for being able to salvage the dwelling.

“Due to the quick response and the fire departments that we were able to contain it and keep it to a minimum,” he said.

Michele Baehr, executive director for the American Red Cross of the Pocono Mountains, said the organization assisted the fire victims.

“Two of our Disaster Action Team members met with three families, eight people, and we provided them with financial support,” Baehr said. “We met them right on scene while the fire was still going.”

Baehr said the American Red Cross is always looking for volunteers, and that anyone interested can go to www.redcross.org and apply online for any positions that are open.