Old Forge Dry Cleaning Business Destroyed by Early Morning Fire
By Ryan Hartnett
Sat, October 31, 2026
Just after 1 AM on Halloween Morning, crews responded to a large fire inside of the Lease Dry Cleaners building on Oak Street that is now in the process of demolition. A pile of burnt wood from Saturday’s structure fire now sits where this brick-and-mortar business in Old Forge once stood.
Crew from PPL Utilities worked to restore the power on Saturday afternoon which saw 2,000 residents in the nearby area, including Old Forge Resident Tevaun Lewis losing power earlier this morning.
"I was watching scary movies, actually, on Halloween and then as soon as the lights cut off last night, I guess because of the fire, the lights all cut off and the neighborhood went dark," Lewis said.
Authorities say none of the surrounding homes were damaged or affected by the fire and no injuries were reported, but the cause of the fire is still unknown.
In a statement posted to Facebook, Lease Dry Cleaners confirmed to their customers:
"In the early morning hours of 10/31/26, the building was lost to fire. We are just now grappling with this news so please be patient. We appreciate your support."
Lewis and other residents say they hope that this longtime Old Forge business can one day be fully restored in the future.