Fire at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Dickson City, Pennsylvania, prompts dozens of evacuations

Update, Feb. 12, 2026: Lehigh Valley Hospital-Dickson City is slated to reopen Feb. 13. Emergency, surgical and limited in-patient services will resume, and work is ongoing to restore additional services and repair the campus, Jefferson Health said in a statement. The emergency room will open at 7 a.m.

Crews were battling a fire at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Dickson City, Pennsylvania, Wednesday night into early Thursday.

The hospital remains temporarily closed while teams assess the damage and make a plan for reopening, a spokesperson said Thursday afternoon.

"LVH–Dickson City was immediately evacuated in coordination with emergency responders. All patients, colleagues and visitors safely exited the building," a hospital spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Lackawanna County Emergency Management Agency Tom Taylor said 77 patients were evacuated to other area hospitals. Six were ICU patients.

One firefighter was taken to another hospital with chest pains, Taylor said.   

The fire was contained to an outpatient orthopedic area, Taylor added.

The Dickson City Fire Department explained that the fire was on the roof of the original building, which was known as Scranton Orthopedics. That building was attached to a newly built one, Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Flames could be seen pouring out of the building as crews responded to the blaze, CBS Scranton affiliate WYOU-TV reported.

The station cited Dickson City fire officials as saying the orthopedic unit is a total loss.

There was no fire in the hospital building, but it sustained smoke and water damage, the department said.

The statement said anyone seeking to reunite with a patient or loved one should contact the dedicated information line at 610-402-0498.

Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and Pennsylvania Department of Health were at the scene, Gov. Josh Shapiro said on social media. 

"Thank you to every first responder running toward danger to help their fellow Pennsylvanians," Shapiro said. "Lori and I are praying for the staff, patients, their families, and the entire community tonight."

The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal was trying to determine the cause of the blaze.

Dickson City is roughly 6 miles north of Scranton.