A screenshot from video capture by Greater Hazleton News 8 The Ocho shows flames damaging the roof of the West Hazleton Weis Market on Monday night.
Courtesy of Greater Hazleton News 8 The Ocho
Store officials say interior sustained some smoke and water damage
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WEST HAZLETON — The raging inferno which devastated Weis Markets’ West Hazleton store Monday night appears to have been contained to the roof, officials with the Sunbury-based chain said Tuesday, adding that they were assessing how long repairs would take.
Firefighters said high winds contributed to the fire’s intensity.
The interior sustained some smoke and water damage, and all current stock inside the store will be destroyed as a precautionary measure, the Weis statement said.
According to the release:
The fire, which started shortly after 9 p.m., quickly grew to a four-alarm blaze by 10:15. No one was seriously injured as firefighters from several Luzerne County departments arrived to quell the inferno.
Weis Markets expressed their gratitude that no one was hurt and to the West Hazleton Fire Department and Chief Richard Sparks as well the other fire companies that were on the scene, many of whom arrived within minutes of the alarm.
Upon discovering the fire at 9:15 p.m. on Monday, employees promptly hit the fire alarm and evacuated approximately 25-30 customers and store associates.
The store’s 191 full-time and part-time employees will be temporarily reassigned to one of Weis’s five locations in the region so they may continue to work while damage and repair timelines are assessed to the West Hazleton location, which has operated for more than 60 years.
Weis is looking to reopen the store’s pharmacy at a temporary location within a few weeks and will be reopening the Weis Gas N’ Go fuel center within days.
Pharmacy customers with questions are encouraged to reach out by calling 1-866-999-9347. The company looks forward to recovering from the fire and returning to serve its West Hazleton customers.
In a post on their Facebook page, West Hazleton Fire Department said roof crews found a working fire near the HVAC unit.
Crews worked on stretching a line to the roof, but “while stretching the line and placing it in service conditions quickly deteriorated due to high winds and a gas line on the roof fueling the fire. Command ordered all units off the roof and a defensive ladder pipe operation was used. Crews would operate using seven (7) ladder pipes to gain control of the fire,” the post stated.
“We appreciate all the mutual aid units who responded to the scene or provided coverage to the area,” the post added.