In a Feb. 22 news release, Catasauqua Borough Fire Marshal/Inspector Raymond Anthony asked the public to be aware of proper actions to take when there is a fire.

“Within the past five days, the Catasauqua Fire Department responded to two fires in which the occupants did not call 911 to report the fire,” Anthony said. “In both cases, the calls were made directly to the fire station, and in one instance, a voicemail was left for the fire chief.”

The first fire, which was caused by an electrical issue and damaged an attic in the 100 block of South 13th Street, occurred Feb. 17. When the homeowner called the department to report the fire, a member at the station was there to answer the phone, the news release stated.

The second fire took place Feb. 21. On the third floor of an apartment building at 118 Bridge St., the fire was the result of a cooking incident. To report the fire, the tenant called and left a message on the fire chief’s voicemail, Anthony said.

In the message, the tenant did not leave an address or any other pertinent information, according to the news release. After no immediate response from leaving a voicemail, the tenant then dialed 911, the release said.

“In both cases, there was a delay in notification to the fire department and subsequently a delay in response. Thankfully, there were no injuries,” Anthony said. “If you have an emergency situation, call 911 and not the individual agency’s phone number.”

Anthony reminded residents the borough fire department is volunteer based, adding the station may not be staffed 24 hours a day.