Amerisist residents forced to evacuate

A nursing assistant wraps a blanket around a woman at the Amerisist assisted living facility off Tasker Road in Stephens City Thursday after residents were evacuated when smoke filled one of the rooms. (Photo by Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star)

Residents of the Amerisist assisted living facility off Tasker Road in Stephens City sit wrapped in blankets outside the building Thursday after being evacuated.

Frederick County firefighter David Scheulen (right) empties water from a hose after responding to a report of smoke at the Amerisist assisted living facility off Tasker Road in Stephens City Thursday. (Photo by Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star)

STEPHENS CITY — A local assisted living facility was evacuated Thursday afternoon when smoke filled a resident’s room.

Everyone inside Amerisist Assisted Living Residences east of Stephens City had evacuated by the time fire and rescue personnel arrived on the scene and no injuries were reported, according to Frederick County Fire Marshal Jay Bauserman.

He said the smoke came from an overheated motor in an air handler unit.

Fire personnel opened windows and doors to ventilate the facility at 110 Spanish Oak Road, and Amerisist was working to get maintenance on the scene to ensure the problem did not reoccur, he said.

Everyone was safely back in the building 30 minutes after fire and rescue personnel arrived on the scene, he added.

Stephens City, Middletown, Round Hill, Greenwood and Millwood fire and rescue companies from Frederick County, aided by all four Winchester companies, responded to the call, which came in at 4:27 p.m.

— Contact Conor Gallagher at cgallagher@winchesterstar.com