JERSEY SHORE, Pa. — Over the weekend, flames ripped through the Broadway Hotel in Jersey Shore. The fire destroyed the hotel's top two floors and caused one of the oldest buildings in the area to be condemned. Volunteer firefighters at Citizens Hose Company recalled the large three-alarm fire.
"It was a pretty intense fire. It was one of the more severe ones that I've been to. It is very physical, and today I'm still feeling the effects of it," said firefighter Jeremy Frantz.
Members of Citizens Hose Company were the first to arrive at the hotel. Jeremy Frantz was the first to go in the building.
"I got to the top of the second-floor steps and saw the heavy glow and smoke in the hallway," he recalled.
After firefighters entered the building, they were made aware of a man that was trapped on the top floor of the hotel. Firefighters say that had to act fast if they were going to save his life.
"I was told that we had entrapment. People across the street were hollering that there was somebody in the building, and I'm trying to locate him and couldn't find him. He happened to be on the third floor. That is where the entrapment was," said Citizens Hose Company Chief Matt Fausey.
"During the rescue situation, I went and helped the assistant chief deploy the ladder to the third floor," said Frantz.
"I went up the ladder with assistance of Tiadaghton Valley Regional PD and some other firemen, and we had to try and talk the guy into coming out the building, and he said he couldn't physically do it, so then we ended up having to grab him and pull him out," said the chief.
The man rescued from the building was later taken to the Lehigh Valley Health Network Regional Burn Center for treatment. Firefighters in Jersey Shore had their own means for recovery.
"Mainly sore muscles, that's the worst, tiredness. You just got to get a couple good extra hours of sleep and a couple good hot showers, and it will get rid of the sore muscles eventually," Frantz said.
A state police fire marshal is still investigating the cause of the fire.