An early morning fire attributed to careless smoking ripped through a row of attached homes in downtown Tamaqua early Thursday, displacing five and heavily damaging four structures.

Responders were dispatched to the area of South Center Street, Route 309, about 3:35 a.m. for a report a house fire, and quickly turned in a second alarm.

The blaze damaged houses at 114, 116, 118 and 120 S. Center St.

See Thursday's Times News for details.