What to Know
- A fast-moving fire destroyed a clubhouse at a large senior community in a Philadelphia suburb, but no injuries were reported.
- The fire at the Village of Neshaminy Falls in North Wales was reported around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. It spewed thick black smoke throughout the community and sent flames shooting into the sky.
- The clubhouse was a vital part of the community, which has hundreds of residents. It hosts numerous activities and was the site where residents cast ballots in elections.
Flames and thick smoke could be seen coming from the clubhouse of a 55-plus community in Montgomery County Wednesday morning, leaving residents without one of the vital places in their lives.
Firefighters could be seen pouring water onto the fire at the community center at the Village of Neshaminy Falls off Stump and Horsham roads in North Wales, Pennsylvania.
There are hundreds of people living in the senior community, a resident told NBC10's Katy Zachry. Some of them witnessed flames coming from the clubhouse around 5:30 a.m. and called 911, Montgomery Township Fire Chief Bill Wiegman told NBC10.
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The rec center -- a lifeline for some residents where the people 55 and older gather do aerobics, play cards, gather for other activities and even vote -- had yet to open for the day when the fire began.
The structure was made mostly of wood and didn't have sprinklers installed so it went up fast, Wiegman said.
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"Crews went interior, at first, to try and put the fire out from the inside," Wiegman said. "While they were inside battling the blaze, the roof from the area where the most fire was came in and collapsed."
At that point, it became a defensive firefight, Wiegman said. Other Montgomery County fire departments joined the firefight as a second alarm was struck.
The fire continued to smoke as the sun began to rise. However, by 7:10 a.m., most of the flames appeared to be extinguished as firefighters continued to battle the fire.
Before 8 a.m., very little smoke was still rising from the gutted structure.
It took crews hours to get the fire under control. A backhoe was brought in to demolish some of the remaining walls and expose more hot spots.
There were no reports of injuries, county dispatchers and firefighters said.
The black smoke was still wafting in the air Wednesday morning as resident wondered how quickly the vital part of their lives would be rebuilt.
"That was our social life," resident Patti Klei said. "It's very important to the community, we have events there everyday and in the evenings. And, for some people it's the only activities they get to do."
NBC10 reached out to McKee Builders - the company that owns the village of Neshaminy Falls - but have not yet heard back.
There is no word yet on how quickly the community center can be rebuilt.
