BALLY – When crews arrived at a row house fire Friday night, they woke up the teenage resident who was unaware of the situation.
The fire, which started outside the three-unit complex around 11:20 p.m., would not have been detected by the smoke alarms inside the home, according to Eastern Berks Fire Chief Mike Mutter.
‘There were working detectors inside the house,’ Mutter said Saturday about the South Second Street house.
No injuries related to the fire were reported but a resident in the third unit suffered a seizure after being evacuated, Mutter said. The resident, according to Mutter, had a history of seizures and was treated by the Bally Ambulance on scene.
Crews were on scene for approximately three house Friday night.
‘We believe the fire started from something on the deck or an air conditioning unit,’ he said about the cause.
The second floor of the first unit was destroyed but Mutter said the house is not a total loss.
Due to the proximity of the structures, there was a potential for the fire to spread to other units but Mutter said, ‘luckily, it was built with a fire wall between each unit.’
Eastern Berks Fire Company was assisted by Bally, Barto, Bechtelsville, and Pennsburg fire companies along with Boyertown Area Fire and Rescue and Bally Ambulance.
