A fire at the Tamaqua Salvation Army Sunday morning destroyed clothing and food.

“I was in the chapel and all of a sudden my phone rings, and it’s my daughter saying, Mom, there’s all kind of smoke coming up here,” said Major Sharon Whispell. “It’s coming from the laundry room. And I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh the laundry room is on fire again.’ ”

Almost a year ago to the day, there was a fire above the Salvation Army in one of the apartments.

“I told her to get the kids and come downstairs now,” Whispell said. “I’m looking down the hallway up-and-down, and I could smell the smoke. I looked in the office and couldn’t see anything, but I could smell it. I opened up the door, and then the second door to the pantry where the state food is.”

Whispell said, “One of our bins had clothing in it to take to Lansford for Valor day; it was on fire. It was next to the electrical panel and the circuit box there. I ran over and grabbed the fire extinguisher off the wall. But I have a slight case of asthma, so by the time I grabbed it and came over, my asthma kicked in a little so I had to put that down and leave the room.”

She called 911.

“All of a sudden officer Hobbs came in and took the fire extinguisher came in and sprayed it, and then the fire department behind us and over here were amazing, they got here so quickly. Thankfully it did not go any further than that bin and some of that electrical panel,” Whispell said.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

“They had to bring in the state inspector because they can’t figure out what started it,” Whispell said.

“I’m not sure if they even figured it out yet. Possibly, it could have been from the bin — that could have started it. I have no idea, they haven’t given me a report yet.”

Whispell said most of the food lost was from the Hunger Walk in early May, and she was hoping to stretch that food out through the summer.

She estimated that at least $1,000 worth of food will have to be disposed of due to the contamination.

The community is already rallying around Whispell and the Tamaqua Salvation Army. The Salvation Army is seeking for monetary donations and canned goods to help make up for the recent loss.

“I’ve already had a couple people that called me,” Whispell said. “One is from Stroudsburg, who has almost 30 bags of clothing. It’s very weird. I’m usually the one on the opposite side helping the first responders and families with food.”

Last year, during the fire, they were helping me. And all of a sudden, it was a family community coming together. They’ve done it before, and now it’s me. I’m getting messages asking if we’re OK.

“No community is perfect, we all have our ups-and-downs, but one thing I’ve learned about Tamaqua; if there’s a need, everyone will come together to help.”