The Lehigh Valley Hospital in Dickinson City, Penn., was evacuated Wednesday night after a fire broke out in a neighboring building. Photo courtesy of the Dickinson City Fire Department/Facebook
The Lehigh Valley Hospital in Dickinson City, Penn., was evacuated Wednesday night after a fire broke out in a neighboring building.
The fire was first spotted on the roof of the hospital’s original building, Scranton Orthopedics, the Dickinson City Fire Department said in a post on Facebook. That building is attached to the hospital, which opened in 2022.
The fire department was first alerted to the fire at about 9:40 p.m. EST on Wednesday. Fire Chief Richard Chowanec called for more assistance after arriving on the scene. Police, emergency medical responders and hospital staff were evacuating the hospital at the time.
Seventy-seven patients, including six patients in intensive care, were evacuated and sent to other area hospitals. One firefighter was taken to another hospital after experiencing chest pains.
Everyone was successfully evacuated from the hospital, hospital spokesperson Irene Contreras Reyes said in a statement.
The Pennsylvania State Police and Lackawanna County Emergency Management Agency assisted with the evacuation. The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal Unit is investigating what caused the fire.
“Thank you to every first responder running toward danger to help their fellow Pennsylvanians,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a social media post.
The orthopedic unit is considered a total loss, the fire department said. The hospital did not catch fire but sustained smoke and water damage.
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