Branch Township and Minersville Fire Companies were dispatched at 11:50 p.m. to the former China Inn at 1357 Bunting St., in the Village of Llewellyn for a large two-story building fire on Nov. 11.
Crews found a heavy smoke coming from the second floor with fire spreading through the rest of the building.
A nearby fire hydrant had not been working properly and the decision was made immediately to bring in a tanker task force to shuttle water. A number of refill and dump sites were set up near the scene.
When a ceiling collapsed, firefighters were removed from the structure and a number of exterior hoselines were used. Ladder trucks from Pottsville and Minersville were set up and an elevated master streams were used on the flames.
Tankers and other units were summoned from South Cass, Summit Station, Pine Grove, Heckshersville, Joliett, Phoenix Park, Friedensburg, Mount Carbon, Schuylkill Haven, Deer Lake-West Brunswick Township, Newtown, Landingville, Branchdale and Minersville.
Multiple fire police units shut down Route 209 while units operated at the fire scene. Pottsville-Schuylkill Haven Area EMS and Minersville EMS provided rehab at the scene.
The fire was brought under control around 3:20 a.m. and the units left the scene before 6 a.m.
