Employees and customers were evacuated from Hometown McDonald's on Wednesday at 10 p.m. when smoke filled the fast food eatery located at 9 Lincoln Drive. The Hometown Fire Co. responded and pinpointed the problem to the building's rooftop which houses an HVAC unit. The Tamaqua Fire Department aerial ladder was summoned to facilitate access to the roof. Employees were allowed back into the building about 20 minutes later, although firefighters continued their investigation into the cause of the smoke and odor.