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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 18 November 2017

Some unaccounted for after huge senior center fire

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE still unaccounted for fol- on the scene, told an af-
Associated Press lowing the huge fire. ternoon news conference
Authorities struggled Friday “We’re hoping for the best that no relatives had yet to
to account for the where- obviously here,” said Nor- report any family members
abouts of all the residents ley, who put the number missing. Dozens of neigh-
of a Pennsylvania senior liv- taken to area hospitals at bors rushed to help with
ing community after a mas- 29. Officials said fewer than the rescue, wrapping the
sive blaze tore through their 20 remained hospitalized elderly in blankets and in
complex during the middle and all were in good con- some cases carrying them
of the night, injuring nearly dition. to ambulances in makeshift
30 and leading to a cha- County emergency of- gurneys. Some of the resi-
otic evacuation. ficials said there was the dents were also taken to a
West Chester Mayor Jor- possibility someone could shelter set up at a nearby
dan Norley said Friday af- have died in the fire, which college.
ternoon that a few of the erupted late Thursday Emergency management
more than 130 residents of night. But a spokeswoman officials said much of the
the Barclay Friends Senior for the federal Bureau of burned-out complex was
Living Community, located Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms too unstable for investiga-
west of Philadelphia, were and Explosives, which was tors to enter and check to

Firefighters continue to work the scene of a fire at the the Barclay
Friends Senior Living Community in West Chester, Pa., Friday,
Nov. 17, 2017.
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
make sure everyone got senior center said about
out. Barclay Friends of- 132 residents were present
fers various levels of care when the blaze broke out.
including memory care, Emergency officials put the
skilled nursing and post- number of staff at about 20;
acute rehab. The cause they were all accounted
of the fire was under inves- for. Patients at Paoli Hospi-
tigation. Larry Kingsland, tal were admitted with is-
62, said he and scores of sues related to smoke in-
neighbors ferried elderly halation, a spokeswoman
residents to medics as fire- said. The mayor said some
fighters rescued them from of the hospitalized residents
the inferno. “Everyone saw complained of chest pains.
how devastating the fire Many of the residents were
was and we all had the pushed in wheelchairs or
same reaction: that people rolled on beds to safety,
needed help,” he said. “The said Dina Ciccarone, an-
whole neighborhood was other neighbor who helped
helping.” The fire spread to move people away from
multiple buildings, engulf- the fire and into safety. In
ing sections within minutes some cases, she said, peo-
as more than 400 emer- ple used blankets as make-
gency personnel respond- shift gurneys to assist in the
ed. The heat was so intense rescue effort.
that one firefighter battling “Most of them could not
the blaze discovered his walk,” the 37-year-old Cic-
helmet was melting, said carone said. “Some were
county emergency servic- lying on the ground, we
es director Robert Kagel. were just bundling them
A spokeswoman for the up.”q