Dear Carlisle Borough Officials, DDAP Regulators, and Community Leaders,
On November 11, 2025, a preventable kitchen fire at Blue Mountain Escape recovery home on Franklin Street in Carlisle tore through the night, forcing my sister Maureen Chang and her family of three out of their duplex home. Smoke damage lingers, and her family remains displace, and will be for the holidays;  but the real tragedy is the systemic negligence that made this disaster inevitable; especially with an innocent five-year-old boy living next door. This “recovery home” was snuck into the other side of their shared duplex without a single notice to residents, exposing my nephew to a transient male population through a connected porch, yard, and walls. No meetings, no flyers, no chance for us to voice concerns about the risks to a young child living just feet away. Now, with the facility’s license under scrutiny, we must act to ensure it never reopens.

Here’s the shocking reality: Blue Mountain Escape crammed 16 people into a three-bedroom house – more than triple the borough’s approved limit of five occupants for homes without a sprinkler system (which this one blatantly lacks). Fire officials confirmed no sprinklers were present, yet management ignored safety codes, zoning rules for parking, and basic oversight. The blaze started when a resident, under the influence of prescribed Suboxone, fell asleep cooking. Residents from the recovery home were outside for 5-10 minutes before anyone thought to alert my sister’s family— a chilling example of how strangers in a business-run facility aren’t neighbors who look out for each other. Everyone escaped unharmed by sheer luck, but my sister’s family paid the price: displaced, traumatized, and furious, and unprotected by state and local government. A duplex setup means no buffer—my five-year-old nephew shared everyday spaces like the porch and yard with strangers in recovery, amplifying the dangers of overcrowding and poor supervision in ways no child should face.
We’ve reported overcrowding before, only to be dismissed. The certificate of occupancy clearly states a five-person max, but operators like Stacy Nazay treated rules as suggestions. Pennsylvania’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) licensed this facility (ID: 50PG6701) despite a May 2024 inspection flagging non-compliance. The Carlisle Codes Department has opened an investigation into violations, but “under review” isn’t enough and is a green light for more corner-cutting if we don’t demand better.

This isn’t just about one fire; it’s about a broken system endangering entire neighborhoods. Recovery homes save lives, but this should not come at the cost of community safety; especially when they’re forced into family duplexes without safeguards for kids. Sneaking operations into residential spaces without transparency invites chaos: noise, traffic, and risks that no family should endure. My sister assumed a 10-person limit from general group home zoning; a common mistake fueled by zero communication. We deserve better: enforced limits, mandatory neighbor notifications for new facilities, and zero tolerance for overcrowding.

What We’re Demanding:
    1    Permanent Closure of Blue Mountain Escape: Revoke its occupancy permit and DDAP license immediately. No rebuilding, no relaunch – this operator has proven untrustworthy.
    2    Stricter Borough Regulations: Require public hearings and 30-day notice periods for any recovery or group home openings in residential areas. Enforce parking minimums and fire safety upgrades as non-negotiable.
    3    Statewide Accountability: DDAP must audit all licensed recovery homes annually, with public reports on compliance. Fine violators heavily and bar repeat offenders from future operations.
    4    Support for Victims: Full reimbursement for displaced families like my sister’s, plus a community fund for fire safety retrofits in affected neighborhoods.

We’ve already sparked a social media storm tagging @CarlisleBorough and @PADrugAlcohol, and CBS 21 News exposed the story on December 8. Please join our family and her neighbors in signing this petition; your voice could prevent the next fire.

Share your story in the comments: Have you faced similar risks from unchecked facilities?

Sign now to protect Carlisle’s families. Demand safety over shortcuts. Together, we can make our streets secure again.