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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; A fire at Genetti Apartments in the former Redington Hotel section forced the evacuation of nearly 80 tenants early Monday morning.
				Wilkes-Barre Fire Chief Jay Delaney said firefighters responded to the seven story building at East Market Street and South Pennsylvania Avenue for smoke on the third floor just before 4:30 a.m.
				Smoke alarms were activated and the building&rsquo;s night manager pulled the fire alarm, Delaney said.
				Firefighters entered the building and located a fire inside a third floor room that was unoccupied at the time.
				&ldquo;Firefighters did an amazing job and quickly knocked down the fire and did overhaul looking for extension,&rdquo; Delaney said.
				Delaney said firefighters were faced with a large number of people and frigid temperatures.
				&ldquo;There were a couple of issues due to the amount of people; to get them out safely. Genetti&rsquo;s management did a good job. We brought everyone out of the cold and brought them into the grand ballroom,&rdquo; Delaney said.
				Due to COVID-19 issues, tenants were given face masks and spaced apart in the ballroom, the fire chief noted.
				After the fire was extinguished, Delaney said Genetti maintenance staff cleaned up debris from hallways and stairs to allow safe passage for tenants to return to their rooms.
				&ldquo;Once the city code inspector arrived and we isolated the room where the fire originated, we worked with Genetti management and let the people return to their rooms in groups of 10,&rdquo; Delaney said.
				No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
				Firefighters cleared the scene just before 7 a.m.
				Genetti Apartments, the former Redington Hotel, has been the scene of several fires in the past.
				An electrical fire damaged a second floor meeting room on April 25, 1981.
				On New Years Day 1999, a fire on the fifth floor forced the evacuation of approximately 200 tenants. Several tenants were injured in the New Years Day blaze.

Fire forced evacuation of Wilkes-Barre downtown apartments