Concerns are raised over issues at Nesquehoning apartment building

Issues at an apartment building in Nesquehoning are causing concern among fire personnel and council members.

On Wednesday, Nesquehoning Hose Company fire Chief John McArdle, who also serves as the borough’s emergency management coordinator, raised his concerns about the apartment building at 127 W. Catawissa St. and the safety of fire crews who recently responded to a fire in one of the apartments.

Last month, borough council and McArdle discussed where a project to rectify multiple avoidable fire alarms at the building stood and a timetable for it to be completed was needed.

RoniSue Ahner, borough secretary, said Wednesday that all of the electrical work has been completed but a final inspection is still needed.

McArdle said yet another fire occurred earlier this month at the building.

The occupant of the apartment left a pot of oil on the stove because he didn’t believe the stove would heat up as fast as it did and caused a kitchen fire.

The problem was that no one in the building knew the fire was happening, so when fire crews arrived, people were still inside.

“We are flirting with catastrophe with that building,” McArdle said, noting that in addition to people not evacuating the building, the property owner recently installed a fence in the rear of the property, which hinders fire response as well.

“All I am saying is more and more things are happening there and we’re going to end up with fatalities if there is a fire,” he said. “I’m not going to put any of our firemen in harm’s way, but this is serious stuff that we have got to look at.”

Councilman Louis Paul, in his first official meeting of the year, also voiced his issue with the building.

“Before I am done here in four years, I want to see that building down and turned into a parking lot,” he said. “I would like to see it condemned … and if we can get grant money and tear that thing to the ground. That is a hindrance to this town.”

Paul said that he wants to crack down on places in the borough like that building because it brings in undesirable residents and then the good people of the town suffer.

“My goal is to see this building down to the ground and we have a nice parking lot,” he said.

The apartment in question has been the site of various incidents regarding police in recent months.

In June, a man was found dead in one of the apartments, and a month later, a man was arrested for threatening to kill two of his neighbors.

Council members spoke out in June about their concerns over a program that was being operated in the building without their knowledge. It was reported at that time that the program rents units to people who were released from jail or mental health issues.