Emergency workers were beginning to evacuate an undetermined number of patients from the Rae-Ann Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 839 W. Main St., late Thursday night after a dryer fire caused smoke to spread throughout the building, said Bob Russell, Geneva Fire Department public information officer.

“We had a dryer fire in the basement that actually started the sprinkler system,” Russell said.

The fire call came about 8:40 p.m. and when firefighters arrived they had some “mop-up” work to do but the fire was almost extinguished, he said. However, some areas of the nursing home were not immediately fit for patients to return.

Patients were moved to secure areas as firefighters ventilated the building and worked on plans for moving those in areas that were deemed unable to be used for the night, Russell said.

A long line of emergency vehicles blocked Route 20 as they awaited instructions on the evacuation to different sites. At about 10 p.m. some of the vehicles were moved into position to take patients away. At that time, firefighters did not know where residents were being taken or how many would be transported, Russell said.”

As far as I know there were no injuries,” Russell said.Ambulances and engines from multiple departments were used, including Jefferson, Saybrook Township, Madison Fire District, Geneva, Ashtabula, Ashtabula Township, Perry, Harpersfield Township, Geneva-on-the-Lake as well as South Central Ambulance District and Northwest Ambulance District.