News Reports

Dryer fire forces hotel evacuation

By Marcia Moore
The Daily Item

HUMMELS WHARF — Clad in a pale pink house coat and black sandals, Susan Lord waited outside under a canopy with dozens of other Hampton Inn guests as firefighters extinguished a dryer fire.

The 3 Stetler Ave. hotel was evacuated at about 8:50 a.m. Thursday after staff discovered flames inside the dryer in the first-floor laundry room.

Patrons were allowed to return to their rooms about 10 minutes later when firefighters from Hummels Wharf and Sunbury had it under control.

"It was contained in the dryer," said Hummels Wharf Fire Chief Jeffrey Buckley. "It didn't spread anywhere else."

Employee Carol O'Bryant said she'd put towels and linens in the dryer and returned a short time later to find them on fire.

"The flames were contained in the dryer," but the smoke was thick, she said.

Hotel staff immediately began alerting guests in the 75-room, three-story hotel.

Mrs. Lord was among them, staying on the second floor above the laundry area.

She had just emerged from the shower and detected a burning odor, but dismissed it. "I thought it was the iron," she said.

A knock on the door told her otherwise.

"A hotel staff member said she was sorry, but we had to leave because of a fire," Mrs. Lord said.

She put on a house coat, slipped on sandals and left to join several other guests outside.

They watched as firefighters disposed of the charred and smoky remnants of linens on the sidewalk a few feet away.

Hotel manager Stephanie Lytle said the evacuation went smoothly, with the exception of a non-English speaking family who hesitated to leave due to miscommunication. They eventually did depart.

During their attempts to ensure all guests were safely out of the building, staff came upon a cat left alone in a third-floor room. The owner had apparently already left.

The cat was being lovingly held by an employee, who said it would probably remain with them at the front desk until the owner returned.