GALAX, Va. – Galax Volunteer Fire Chief, Mike Ayers, said it was a true ‘team’ effort when they were called to the Waddell Nursing and Rehab facility.
At 12:17 a.m., firefighters responded to the scene. When they arrived, they said they found staff evacuating patients from the second floor, where smoke was visible.
Firefighters then helped to get residents to safety, authorities said. We’re told that the Galax Public Library across the street from the facility was opened to shelter some residents during the incident. Other residents were placed into a rehab room on site, and the first floor was sheltered.
After the scene was cleared, firefighters and other first responders all pitched in to return the residents back to their rooms.
[READ MORE: Galax, area crews work to evacuate nursing home facility after fire call]
“These guys and gals hopped in there and took each and every one of them back to their rooms reassured them everything was okay and just administered to them. You had firefighters and police officers rolling sweet people back to their beds and putting them back in for the night,” Ayers said.
Ayers shared a Facebook Post following the incident to give his thanks to all the different agencies that responded.
“This is the greatest place in the Commonwealth,” Ayers said. “Can’t say enough about the staff at Waddell Nursing home. They performed flawlessly. You got to understand to the staff, sweet old ladies and gentlemen ... they’re their family.”
Ultimately the firefighters opened up both HVAC units, finding a badly burned motor and wiring which sent smoke into the facility. Ayers believes the units were replaced very quickly since it was a nursing home.