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Fire Rips Through Medical Office in Luzerne County

FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP — A fire ripped through a medical office in Luzerne County. Massive flames could be seen shooting through the roof of Mountain Top Inter...

FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP -- A fire ripped through a medical office in Luzerne County.

Massive flames could be seen shooting through the roof of Mountain Top Internal Medicine on Route 309 after midnight on Tuesday.

Dr. Mario Adajar was getting ready for bed when he got a call that every business owner dreads. An alarm company notified him that his office near Mountain Top was up in flames.

The inside of internal medicine is charred to a crisp after a raging fire overnight left the practice in Fairview Township damaged beyond repair.

"It was sickening to see your property go up in flames after all of the hard work that you did," Dr. Adajar said.

Dr. Adajar and his wife Marie opened this practice just over a year ago. The damage is stunning to everyone connected to the office.

"I wasn't expecting it to be that bad, actually," said Rachel Simon, a previous manager.  "I didn't realize how much it actually went through the whole building. I was very stunned to see that the ceiling was collapsed almost throughout the whole thing and how much was burned."

Massive flames could be seen on Route 309 around midnight. The fire marshal told Dr. Adajar the incident isn't believed to be arson.

"They said it was more or less electrical in nature. The fuse box was fried and that probably water got into it."

Dr. Adajar's son is studying medicine in the Philippines. He was in a lecture when he heard about his family's office going up in flames.

"I left class," said Mario Adajar. "I have four-hour lectures. I just stepped out and tried to call anyone I could to help my parents out."

As Newswatch 16 was on the scene, patients were pulling up to the practice, expecting to go in for their appointments. When they looked in, they were shocked to see how extensive the damage was.

"Complete dismay, frustration, it's an hour and 15 minutes for us to drive here. I wouldn't have another doctor besides Doctor Marie. She's saved my life a couple times," said patient Raymond Beers.

"We came here and I said, 'Oh, gee, Margie, the windows all boarded up.' It looks like it's all smashed up," said patient Susan Witkoski.

Luckily for Dr. Adajar, he and his wife still have an office on Shoemaker Avenue in West Wyoming. They're already taking all patients in at that office.

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