Fire pagers were alerted just after 3:40 am early Saturday morning for a possible house fire in New London Township. Fortunately, it wound up being much less serious a call.

Firefighters from West Grove and area mutual aid partners were dispatched to the call in the area of Route 896 in the heart of New London, as a passerby reported smoke from a building and possible fire.

WGFC responded with Ladder 22, Engine 22-2, Engine 22-3, Tanker 22 and the ambulance as well as fire police. Units from Avondale, Oxford, Unionville (Po-Mar-Lin), and Cochranville responded.

WGFC Chief 22 arrived in the area and directed units to the corner of State Road and Route 896 with smoke from the building housing New London Auto Repair with smoke showing on the commercial structure with occupied apartments on the second floor. Ladder 22 arrived and positioned on the front the building, with Engine 22-2 (from the nearby New London fire station) arriving to lay a supply line from a nearby hydrant and stretch an attack line to the structure.

With WGFC firefighters conducting a search in both apartments and the auto repair business below, it was determined that the smoke was likely from a malfunctioning oil burner in the lower level business. With that, the incident was scaled back. WGFC EMS units evaluated the residents from the apartments above, and WGFC firefighters ventilated the structure with large fans.

The WGFC units cleared the scene in about an hour.

WGFC units were also dispatched later Saturday for a possible barn fire on State Road. That large response from area fire companies was also scaled back with the call wound up being a large controlled burn.