Fire damages roof of Pennsylvania hospital; 77 patients evacuated

A fire at a hospital in northeastern Pennsylvania forced the evacuation of 77 patients after flames broke through the roof of part of the complex, according to fire officials. No injuries have been reported.

The fire was reported around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Dickson City, a borough about 5 miles north of Scranton. The Dickson City Fire Department and multiple neighboring departments were dispatched to the scene.

According to NEPA Fire Photography, a fire chief arriving on scene reported a visible column of smoke and flames coming through the roof of an injury center section of the facility.

Hospital staff, assisted by police officers, evacuated all 77 patients. Emergency medical services launched a large-scale response to care for patients and transport them to other medical facilities.

Crews initially stretched hose lines into the building, but encountered heavy fire conditions and significant hazards, including an active MRI machine near the fire area. Firefighters were withdrawn from the interior and operations shifted to a defensive, exterior attack.

Ladder trucks and large-diameter hose lines were deployed to prevent the fire from spreading to the hospital’s emergency department and main tower. Officials said crews were able to stop further extension of the fire.

The Dickson City Fire Department said the fire was located in the roof of an older attached structure formerly known as Scranton Orthopedics, not in the main hospital building itself. Officials said there was no active fire inside the hospital, but smoke and water damage affected parts of the facility.

As of about 1 a.m., fire crews remained on scene and operations were expected to continue into the morning. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.