Firefighters from three counties responded to commercial fire alarm at Heritage Hills Assisted Living Center in Weatherly Saturday afternoon.

Weatherly Fire Chief Tom Breznitsky said staff at the center smelled smoke, then sounded an alarm and began evacuating guests as a light haze began filling the building just after 1 p.m.

Firefighters found a motor on an air conditioning unit overheated, and temperatures had reached 500 degrees on the unit, he said. The air conditioning system was shut down and cooled off, he said.

The building was ventilated and residents were able to return in less than an hour. The failed unit only affected five or six rooms and the remaining units were turned back on, Breznitsky said. A repairman was on scene Saturday afternoon as well.

Breznitsky praised the staff for doing an excellent job with the evacuation, and noted that off-duty staff also came in to help. The Weatherly Area School District opened its gym to temporarily house residents, if need be due to the heat and neighboring Forest Hills, formerly Weatherwood, also assisted, he said.

Fire companies responding included Weatherly, L & L, Freeland, McAdoo, Hazle Township, Beaver Meadows, West Hazleton, City of Hazleton. Also responding were Weatherly police, Carbon EMA, Lehigh Valley EMS, Lehighton Ambulance, and Hazleton Transit Authority for possible relocation of residents. The Weatherly Water Department also responded.