WEATHERLY, CARBON COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Authorities say nearly 90 people were evacuated from a Weatherly senior community building after an air conditioning unit caught fire.
Officials say crews were called to the Heritage Hill Senior Community for a reported structure fire just before 1:10 p.m. Saturday.
There were no reported injuries, and the Citizens Fire Department led the response to the incident.
Assistant Fire Chief of the Citizens Fire Company, Paul Bray, told 28/22 News when crews arrived on scene, they found smokey conditions inside the building.
According to the Assistant Fire Chief, the smoke was coming from an air conditioning unit that overheated and was almost 500° when crews got to it.
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Firefighters isolated the fire by cutting off power to the unit, then ventilated the building, according to Assistant Chief Bray.
Assistant Chief Bray added that 88 residents were evacuated for about an hour before being allowed back into the building at about 2:30 p.m.
EMS and Fire Companies from Luzerne and Carbon Counties also helped resolve the incident, according to Assistant Chief Bray.
After all was said and done, the community home is currently without an air conditioning unit, and they have a maintenance crew working to restore it.
