Fire, heavy smoke damage Lancaster Twp. health club
By Susan Baldrige and John M. Hoober III
Jan 22, 2003, 13:12
Lancaster New Era

A two-alarm fire caused extensive damage at the Lancaster County Racquetball and Health Club this morning, forcing evacuation of the club and closing it for at least a week.

The fire apparently started in a lighting fixture above the ceiling, fire officials said. It caused heavy smoke to pour out the front doors of the club, at 1319 Millersville Road.
All of the 50 staff members and people exercising escaped.
Five patrons required oxygen for smoke inhalation and one was taken to a Lancaster hospital for further treatment, said Joe Carr, a supervisor for Lancaster Emergency Medical Services Association (LEMSA).
The blaze will probably close the club for at least a week, said owner Craig Natale.
Patrons will be notified by letter when the club is to reopen.
By 9:15 this morning, the heat, smoke and flames had filled a section of the club, blackening handrails in the front entrance.
Natale, 44, said he first knew there was trouble at the Lancaster Township club when a light began to flicker on the second floor, in the cardiovascular fitness area.
"It's supposed to be very expensive lighting equipment in here,'' said Natale.
This was the second serious fire at the club in the past four years.
The health club was the scene of an extensive fire in 1999 that started in a sauna and spread through the building, causing $400,000 in damages.
Although no damage estimate was available yet on today's fire, Natale said it wasn't as big as the previous fire.
The owner happened to be on the second floor today when the fire started.
"It (the light) started popping and I looked up and saw an electrical fire,'' Natale said.
One of the club's personal trainers, Aaron Lippy, 23, was also on the second floor of the club this morning.
"I smelled a little bit of smoke, but I didn't think it was anything,'' Lippy said. "All of a sudden all this smoke came down.''
Lippy said a light "blew out'' and flames appeared underneath the ceiling tiles.
Natale said the staff of the club immediately started getting everyone out of the building.
Natale and another employee got fire extinguishers and trained them on the flames, he said.
"We went through five fire extinguishers,'' Natale said. "That kept the fire under control until we got everyone out and the firefighters arrived.''
"It took approximately 15 minutes for everyone to be evacuated,'' Natale said. "No one was in danger at any time.''
Everyone emerged from the building fully dressed against the cold temperatures, even though the hot tubs and saunas had been in use.
According to Steve Roy, Lancaster Township Fire Department assistant chief, the fire damage was in the second floor ceiling.
About 50 firemen fought the fire both inside the building and from the roof. Besides Lancaster Township, seven companies also responded to the blaze: West Lancaster; Millersville, Lancaster City, East Petersburg, Lafayette, New Danville and West Hempfield.
It took firefighters about an hour to put out the fire.
"This is not as devastating as the fire was before,'' said Natale who was shocked that an electrical fire could occur where it did.
"It's all brand new state-of-the-art lighting equipment,'' Natale said. "It's not supposed to have a fire. It's low-voltage, cold-running equipment.''
The Millersville Pike around the health club was closed to traffic during the incident.
However, the McDonalds in the Manor Shopping Center, across the street from the club, became a vantage point for those interested in watching the fire.
A McDonald's employee, Tom Koltunovich, said the restaurant's customers were all talking and watching the action.
"They have a couple ladders up on the roof,'' reported Koltunovich about 9:45 a.m. "There's not that much smoke coming out at this time.''