A Thanksgiving Eve incident in Phoenixville nearly turned catastrophic when a building fire was reported at the Phoenix Village Apartments on Bridge Street. According to a social media post by the Phoenixville Fire Department, the alert came in at 11:37 PM on Wednesday, as smoke was detected in the hallway of the building's first floor.
The response team included not only the Phoenixville Fire Department but also first-alarm mutual aid companies who were quick on the scene where firefighters faced a smoke condition in the hallway after Rescue 65 arrived, they encountered heavy smoke necessitating the forceful opening of an apartment door to pinpoint the origin, which turned out to be unattended cooking. Montco Squad 68 from UPT Fire & Emergency Services along with Engine 68-1 from Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Co. remained on site assisting with the situation while the rest of the dispatched units were sent back as their services were deemed not needed.
Those residing in the apartment were assessed by an ambulance crew from TowerDirect, thankfully avoiding what could have easily escalated into a more grievous holiday misfortune. In order to purge the smoke that filled the premises, the firefighters deployed a few positive pressure fans which successfully cleared the building sparing residents from extended displacement.
The fire department's intervention led to the brief closure of the 100 block of Bridge Street during the aftermath of the event, but units were able to clear the scene after approximately 40 minutes restoring normalcy to the downtown area.
