| Just before dawn on Saturday September 19, a fire in a room of a local hotel created a smoke condition that resulted in the precautionary evacuation of the building. A report of fire in a room on the 3rd floor of a four-story multi-tenant occupancy on Paper Mill Road in Spring Township resulted in the dispatch of a full structure assignment. This consisted of TSFRS Engine 85, Wyomissing FD Ladder 79, Western Berks FD Ladder 18, West Reading Engine 64 , Reading Engine 3, Shillington Engine 36, Cumru Station 42 for RIT and Western Berks EMS Medic 6512. Additional information from County Communications reported that the building was being evacuated and that the automatic fire alarm from the premises had been received.
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In short order TSFRS Chief 85 arrived and reported normal conditions from the exterior and confirmed the evacuation in progress. Engine 85s crew reported to the fire floor and reported smoke in the hall. The crew connected their hose packs to the standpipe system and were joined by L79. Together they located the reported fire room and discovered a small fire in a microwave which was out, but with a smoke condition throughout. The assignment was reduced and on scene companies initiated mechanical ventilation via a stairway.
As ventilation was completed and air quality was verified, the approximately 100 occupants were progressively returned to their rooms in cooperation with facility management. When all operations were completed, units were released, the site was returned to management and Command was terminated. |
