Sixty-one cats and two dogs were killed in a three-alarm fire that broke out shortly after noon Tuesday in a 200-year-old North Whitehall Township building.

The structure housed five apartments and two businesses.

Schnecksville Fire Chief Ron Stahley said the cats and dogs were all in one apartment on the south side of the building. One cat in the first floor apartment survived, he said.

Stahley said more than a dozen fire companies and 60 to 70 firefighters fought the blaze at 4701 Route 309, Schnecksville.

Volunteer firefighters responded from Schnecks-ville, Woodlawn, Germansville, Slatington, Greenawalds, Tri-Clover, Neffs, Slatedale, Emerald, Lehigh Township, Northampton County, Walnutport, Laurys Station, Alburtis Rapid Intervention Team and fire police from Fogelsville and Whitehall.

Fire companies placed on standby included Freidens, Trexlertown, Weis-enberg, Carbon County 45, Egypt Fire Company, Whitehall, and New Tripoli.

In addition, the Macungie Ambulance Corps Rehabilitation Unit, Northern Valley and Cetronia ambulance corps and Lehigh Valley Animal Response Team assisted at the scene.

"Five adults and two children were in three separate apartments," Stahley said. "Two employees were in the insurance office and one person was in the gold coin shop when the fire broke out. Everyone was evacuated safely."

Stahley credits Stefan Skweir, owner of ANS Coins on the first floor of the building, with informing workers in the Allstate Insurance office next door about the fire and two teens in an upstairs apartment to leave.

The two teens were found hiding in the closet in their bedroom, Stahley said.

One firefighter showed signs of heat exhaustion and was transported to the hospital, Stahley said.

"The fire appears to have started in the kitchen but not on the stove in the second-floor apartment," he said. "It was not found to be suspicious."

Stahley said the worst damage was to the apartment where the fire broke out.

"There was some water damage to the gold shop and downstairs apartment," he said. "The other apartments and the Allstate Insurance office had smoke damage."

He said the township came out later in the day and posted the building as uninhabitable.

"The structure seems sound to me," Stahley said. "But the township structural engineer will be out to investigate and determine whether the building is structurally sound."

He said the fire was declared under control around 2:30 p.m. but firefighters remained on the scene until 7:15 p.m. Tuesday.

"We stayed on the scene to help some of the residents get in and get some of their important belongings," Stahley said.

"Firefighters worked very hard to save this 200 year-old structure.

"The firefighters worked very hard under the conditions of the heat and humidity."

Stahley said he is very appreciative of South Whitehall Township Fire Marshal John Frantz helping North Whitehall Township Fire Marshal Don Jacobs conduct the investigation. He is also thankful for all the firefighters and other people who came out to help.

The American Red Cross Greater Lehigh Valley Chapter responded to the blaze and provided one family of two adults with food, lodging and clothing assistance.

The second family of one adult received assistance for food.

The third family, which included two adults and two children, received assistance for food.

Two apartments were vacant.

All of the individuals received comfort kits from the Red Cross.

According to Lehigh County Assessment records the building is owned by Kim Jon Chung and Duk Suk of Center Valley.