Remembering the 1985 YMCA Fire

On January 28, 1985, a devastating pre-dawn fire at the YMCA in Reading, Pennsylvania, claimed four lives, including a firefighter and a man he attempted to rescue. Firefighter Donald G. Jacobs, along with residents Warren F.W. Eisenbise, 66, and Todd A. Montag, 22, were discovered in a stairwell. A fourth victim, Clarence E. Delp, 61, was found in the lobby.

The Start of the Fire

The YMCA building was completed in 1914 and expanded in 1930. At the time of the fire, renovations were underway to convert the upper floors into housing for people that had no place to sleep. Due to budget limitations, sprinkler systems were installed only on the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors, leaving the rest of the building dependent on outdated fire safety measures. However, a fire escape on the east side of the building remained intact, preserved as part of the fire safety requirements during the renovation planning.

The fire started when 18-year-old Tracy Lee Pietrovito, emotionally disturbed after an argument, entered the YMCA basement through an unsecured emergency exit door. He set multiple fires, including one in a first-floor pantry.

At approximately 4:30 a.m., a resident of the YMCA descended from an upper floor. While accessing the vending machine area near the building’s east-side hallway, she noticed the smell of smoke. She reported it to Russell Palmer, the contracted security guard stationed in the lobby. Palmer investigated and confirmed the presence of smoke. Per his instructions, he contacted the maintenance supervisor instead of immediately alerting emergency services or evacuating the building.

The supervisor, located 20 minutes away in Laureldale, advised Palmer to wait for his arrival. As the smoke intensified, Palmer eventually attempted to notify the fire department. However, in 1987, Reading had no 911 system; fire dispatch relied on a seven-digit number, which Palmer did not know. His call to the operator was rerouted through Philadelphia due to miscommunication about his location, further delaying the emergency response.

Fire Discovery and First Response

As confusion mounted, a passerby noticed flames on the Reed Street side of the building. They alerted Reading Police Officer Tom Killian, who witnessed the fire firsthand. Killian entered the YMCA, urged Palmer to evacuate the building, and, seeing no immediate action, pulled the fire alarm. This act simultaneously triggered the building’s alarm system and alerted Wells Fargo Alarm Company, the city’s fire dispatch center. The fire department received multiple notifications, prompting the dispatch of a full structural fire response.

The Flashover and Its Deadly Consequences

Ladder Company 2 arrived at the scene and parked on Reed Street, where flames were visible on the building’s side. Firefighters Kevin Kulp and Joseph DeCisco stayed with the truck to operate the aerial equipment, while volunteers Terry Royce, Paul Hoffman, and Donald Jacobs entered the building through the lobby and proceeded up the stairwell.

As they reached the landing between the first and second floors, they encountered smoke banking down from the second floor, which Royce found unusual given that the fire was venting from the Reed Street side. Despite the anomaly, they donned their masks and continued to advance. Suddenly, the smoke thickened to the point where visibility was reduced to zero. Royce lost contact with Jacobs, who had continued upward and encountered a resident, Todd Montag. Jacobs decided to escort Montag back down the stairwell to safety.

Meanwhile, the fire, originating in the pantry near the kitchen, breached the transom and doorway, spreading rapidly into the north-south hallway and then into the lobby. The fire’s intensity was exacerbated by the propped-open stairwell door, which the security guard had wedged open with a fire extinguisher to allow firefighters access. This created a wind tunnel effect that accelerated the fire’s spread.

As the fire roared down the hallway and into the stairwell, Jacobs and Montag were caught near the first floor and killed instantly in a thermodynamic event known as a flashover. A flashover occurs when extreme heat causes the simultaneous ignition of all combustibles in a confined space, such as the hallway, which contained highly flammable materials like cellulose ceiling tiles, burlap wallpaper, and foam-backed carpeting.

The flashover continued up the stairwell, where another resident, Warren Eisenbeis, was descending between the second and third floors. He was caught in the remnants of the flashover and tragically lost his life.

In the lobby, Clarence Delp, who refused to evacuate because of the cold, also succumbed to the flashover as the heat rendered the area unsurvivable. The fire eventually reached the fourth floor, where the sprinkler system activated and stopped its progress. By then, the fire had consumed the hallway, stairwell, and lobby, leaving devastating destruction in its wake.

Heroic Evacuations and Structural Integrity

The response was heroic. Firefighters and police officers worked tirelessly to evacuate the building. Officer Kevin Rudy and others braved flames to pull victims to safety on the fire escape, a structure that Chief Richard Boyer had insisted be preserved during prior renovations. Volunteer firefighter Terry Royce was critically burned but survived, demonstrating extraordinary resilience by later becoming a career firefighter.

A Solemn Tribute

On January 25, 2025, nearly 150 people came together at Reading Area Community College to reflect on the 40th anniversary of the fire. Hosted by the Reading Area Firefighters Museum, the event honored the lives lost, the sacrifices made, and the resilience of the Reading Fire Department.

Retired Fire Chiefs William H. Rehr III and Richard Boyer led a presentation that included a detailed recounting of the fire, its causes, and the profound changes it brought to the department. The audience, which included active and retired firefighters, community members, and the Jacobs family, reflected on the tragic night and its lasting lessons.

Donald Jacobs’ sister, Donna Brownholtz, attended with her family. She expressed gratitude for the community’s continued support, stating how the event helped her children learn about their uncle’s legacy. Brownholtz reflected on the close-knit camaraderie of firefighters, calling them her “second family,” and thanked those who had supported her family during their darkest time.

Terry Royce, who was seriously injured in the fire, delivered a heartfelt tribute to his late friend. Fighting back emotion, he spoke of Jacobs’ unwavering dedication to the fire service, his sense of humor, and his selflessness. “To know Donald was a pleasure, and it truly enriched our lives,” Royce said.

Other speakers included Reading firefighters who responded that night and police officers who assisted in the evacuation, recalling the courage and determination of those involved. The tribute also served as an opportunity to thank all first responders for their continued service to the community

The Aftermath and Accountability

The fire revealed serious gaps in fire safety measures. Only the top three floors of the YMCA, where residents lived, had fire sprinklers installed, leaving lower floors unprotected. Furthermore, inadequate emergency protocols led to a delay in reporting the fire when the on-duty security guard, unfamiliar with the fire department’s number, inadvertently called Philadelphia authorities.

Pietrovito was later arrested and convicted on charges including arson and second-degree murder. He remains in prison, serving four concurrent life sentences.

A Department Transformed

The tragedy spurred significant changes within the Reading Fire Department. Retired Chiefs Rehr and Boyer recalled how the department lacked formal standards for volunteer firefighters, exposing the city to liability. Donald Jacobs, a dedicated volunteer, was emblematic of those who pursued training independently, but there were no uniform requirements.

In response, the department implemented mandatory training and certification for volunteers, eventually transitioning to a fully career-based force by 2015. The tragedy also underscored the necessity of comprehensive fire protection systems. A single sprinkler head in a daycare area adjacent to the fire demonstrated their life-saving potential, extinguishing flames and preventing further spread.

Honoring the Fallen

Jacobs’ sacrifice and commitment to service are remembered with deep reverence. A memorial was erected in City Park across from the Fireman’s Memorial Band Shell with a plaque with an image of Donald and also the tower bell from the Washington fire station that used to ring out the public fire alarms. The 40th-anniversary remembrance further solidified his legacy, ensuring his story continues to inspire future generations of first responders.