City residents safely evacuate burning 3-story apartment building
Smoke detectors helped avert a tragedy Thursday night as fire struck a two-unit, three-story apartment building in the 100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, Interim Coatesville Fire Chief Jim Lentz said.
The Coatesville Bureau of Fire along with the Veteran’s Administration Fire Department and Modena Fire Company received a call at 11:19 p.m. with reports of people trapped, Lentz said. City fire apparatus arrived within three minutes and reported heavy smoke showing from all floors of the building, he said.
“Working smoke detectors alerted the first-floor residents, averting a tragedy. The detector activations allowed two adult women and four children to escape safely,” Lentz said. “The police assisted the residents of the second- and third-floor apartment with evacuation.”
Lentz said the two-alarm fire was brought under control in approximately 30 minutes, and no injuries were reported. The cause appears accidental but remains under investigation by the Chester County Fire Marshal, Lentz said.
Eight people were displaced and are being assisted by the Red Cross.
Assisting the Coatesville Fire Department were Thorndale, Westwood, Sadsburyville, Downingtown, Keystone and East Brandywine fire companies along with Brandywine paramedics.
Smoke detectors remain available free to city residents who contact the fire department at 610-679-6066.
