Neighbors Rush to Help During Massive Fire at Pa. Senior Living Center

Dozens of neighbors rushed to the scene of a massive late-night fire that injured at least 20 people at a Pennsylvania senior living community, wrapping the elderly in blankets and carrying them to ambulances in makeshift gurneys. Larry Kingsland, 62, said Friday he and scores of people who live around the Barclay Friends Senior Living Community ferried elderly residents to medics as firefighters rescued them from the blaze. "Everyone saw how devastating the fire was and we all had the same reaction: that people needed help," he said of the Thursday night inferno in West Chester, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Philadelphia. "The whole neighborhood was helping." Firefighters were still dousing smoldering hot spots on what remains of the building late Friday morning. The fire was declared under control just before 1:30 a.m. An investigation into what caused the blaze is underway, a town fire chief said. The fire quickly spread to multiple buildings, engulfing sections within minutes; flames could be seen shooting from the roofs and windows of the structures. Many of the residents were pushed in wheelchairs or rolled on beds to safety, said Dina Ciccarone, another neighbor who helped move people away from the fire and into safety. In some cases, she said, people used blankets as makeshift gurneys to assist in the rescue effort. "Most of them could not walk," the 37-year-old Ciccarone said. "Some were lying on the ground, we were just bu...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Major Incidents News Source Type: news