Nurses Help Save 77 Patients After Hospital Roof Fire Sparks Emergency Evacuation
- A fire broke out at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Dickson City in Pennsylvania, engulfing the hospital’s orthopedic wing and prompting a full hospital evacuation.
- Registered Nurse Tracy Cipriano was one of the healthcare workers who sprang into action to calmly and quickly evacuate patients.
- Together, nurses, firefighters, and other rescue workers evacuated 77 patients from the hospital.
When alarms erupted through the halls of Lehigh Valley Hospital–Dickson City in Pennsylvania late Wednesday night, registered nurse Tracy Cipriano had just begun her routine patient charting.
Within minutes, however, routine turned to chaos: the acrid scent of smoke filled the air, and flames soon shot from the roof of the hospital’s orthopedic wing. Cipriano, a veteran nurse with 23 years of experience, told a local news outlet that she was frightened by the sight.
“I had never been in a fire, and to see the extent of those flames was really very, very scary,” she said.
Despite her fear, she and her coworkers sprang into action to keep her patients calm and get them out of the building.
Nurses at the Helm
Cipriano worked on the hospital’s third-floor medical-surgical unit, just two and a half hours into her twelve-hour shift when the alarms sounded at around 9:40 p.m. Together with her unit colleagues, she began moving swiftly from room to room, closing doors to contain the smoke and calmly alerting patients to prepare for evacuation.
As confirmation of a fire on the roof came from the physician assistant in charge, an unspoken message to evacuate spread throughout the staff. Nurses quickly categorized who could walk, who required assistance, and who would need to be carried.
“We pretty much just all went to our patient rooms and began gathering patients,” Cipriano shared.
The hospital's staff working together helped keep patients calm, and all in all, 77 patients were evacuated. And despite the bitterly cold temperatures of the night, hospital staff also brought blankets and socks out from the units to help keep patients warm.
A Community in Action
While the evacuation was certainly a team effort, Cipriano herself helped move twenty patients from her floor alone. Once outside, teams guided patients across the street to a nearby insurance building until further arrangements could be made to pick them up.
The insurance agency building served as a refuge and a warming station throughout the night for patients, hospital staff, and emergency responders as they worked to contain the blaze.
“Some of them had coats and some didn’t,” Brian Paciotti, the owner of Paciotti Insurance Agency, said. “It was very cold so they were hanging out in here, just getting warm. They were all really thankful — it was in the teens (Wednesday) night.”
Cipriano did not return home until 2 AM, prompting many worried and frantic calls from her family wondering where she was and if she was okay, but her daughter, Candice Williams, who is also studying to be a nurse, told The Times Tribune that she was incredibly proud of her mother.
“As her daughter, last night was one of the scariest moments of my life, but hearing how calm and focused my mom and the rest of the staff were while helping get patients out safely all while trying to keep them from panicking, even though they were afraid themselves, makes me incredibly proud of her and everyone who responded,” she said. “They’re all heroes.”
Lessons for the Nursing Community
The Lehigh Valley Hospital fire serves as a powerful testament to what nursing leadership looks like during a crisis. Nurses balanced compassion with control, transforming panic into order, proving once again that the profession stands at the very center of patient safety.
As the investigation and recovery efforts begin, nursing leaders can take important lessons from Cipriano’s story:
- Emergency preparedness saves lives. Routine safety drills and cross-departmental collaboration can make all the difference.
- Calm communication matters. Clear, compassionate direction helps patients and staff stay grounded during chaos.
- Emotional resilience is critical. Supporting nursing teams after traumatic events ensures long-term strength and stability.
The story is also a good reminder to review your hospital or facility's protocol for what to do in a fire and to ensure evacuation drills are in place, just in case.
Unfortunately for Lehigh Valley, the fire caused significant damage and forced the temporary closure of the hospital, raising understandable concerns among staff about the future of their jobs. Ashley Gonzalez is one such employee. She had only worked at the hospital for a month as a housekeeper when the blaze broke out.
“But, mostly, I’m glad that everyone made it out of there and no one got hurt,” Gonzalez said. “That’s the blessing.”
🤔Nurses, have you ever been faced with evacuating patients? Share your thoughts in the discussion forum below!
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