Bloomsburg Fire Department

Every town has their share of stories about events that shape the community, either positively or negatively, after their occurance.  Bloomsburg is not short on sagas involving tragedy, sadness, and death.  These fires are certainly not an exhaustive list, but include fires that impacted multiple people in our community.

April 26, 1899: Rupert Marble Works



A fire that started by the explosion of an oil lamp totally destroyed three buildings, including the Rupert Marble Works and Rupert Paint Works. Paint Works owner, L.H. Booty, sent his team of horses to Bloomsburg to retrieve the Bloomsburg Fire Department's fire engine.  The "steamer," along with fire carts from the Friendship and Good Will fire companies, successfully stopped the fire from spreading through the town of Rupert.   Financial losses in 2020 dollars were over $10.5 million

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November 19, 1909: Pursel Building

A major department store and other businesses and apartments in the Pursel building on Main Street were gutted during this day-time fire.  Notice the steam pumper in front of the Fountain.  The Civil War Monument, just out of sight to the right, had just recently been erected.

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April 8, 1910: The Village of Mainville



(Note: This is approximately $20,000,000 in 2020 funds.) ____________________________________________________

October 23, 1923:  The Old High School

Bloomsburg's first high school, located at the west corner of First and Center Streets, burned in a fire, which started in the boys' stairway and first noticed by the caretaker of the Rosemont Cemetary at 1 AM.  During the four years it took for a new building to be constructed across the street, students attended classes in fire halls, the Episcopal Church, and rooms at the Normal School and Columbia County Trust Co.

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 August 25,1930: The American Car and Foundry Co.

A huge sprawling complex from East Street to Locust between 6th and 7th Streets was completely leveled in a fire that started in the electrcian's shop, putting 80 men out of work.  The fire was so intense, it caught houses two blocks away on fire and burned other businesses nearby, but many others were saved by dousing with water to cool the structures.

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January 7,1939:   Line-of-Duty Fatality

The White Milling Company on 6th near Iron Street caused the only line-of-duty fatality in our town's history.  Daniel "Speed" Sterner, a 57-year old PPL employee and father to 10 children, was killed when the power house exploded, sending bricks upon him.  Our local fire companies were assisted by companies from Berwick, Danville, Nescopeck, Orangeville, and a citizens bucket brigade.  

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October 1, 1953:  Historic Barn burns at The Fair

On the last day (Saturday) of the 99th edition of The Fair, a historic barn and four sheds burned down on the midway, while thousands of people watched.  Two days previously, 4 concession stands burned down on the midway, paving the way for firefighters manning a fire station at the fire 24 hours a day while The Fair is in session, a practice that has continued to this day.

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Summer 1964: Plane Crash

Two men from Millville died (and two survived!) when their plane, struggling to gain altitude when taking off from the Bloomsburg Airport, crashed and burst into flames in left field of the Bloomsburg Little League during a ball game.  The park was filled with many people enjoying a beautiful day, but were helpless to save the two men still inside.  

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April 15, 1969: 3-Year Old Fatality

3-year old John Anceravge, left alone briefly in the family home on West 9th St. after dinner when his mother drove his two siblings to meet their friends, was overcome by smoke from a fire that was believed to have started in a gas clothes dryer.  Help arrived immediately when the fire was discovered, but resuscitation was unsuccessful.

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July 5, 1969: Railroad Roundhouse

The historic Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad (later bought by the Reading RR) roundhouse off Railroad Street burned in a late afternoon fire, in a response that left three separate fire apparatus out of service, two from the Rescue FIre Department (notor dies and punp broke) and the brand new pumper from neighboring Montour Township (cracked casting in the pump).  The terminal building still stands today, being used by an accounting firm.  The roundhouse can be seen in the back of the photo of the station. 

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April 18, 1976: Easter Morning

The Tri-County Oil Company on Market St. near 8th Street was destroyed by a fire that was fueled by LOTS of combustible liquids.  Paint cans exploded and went high into the air during the course of the battle. 

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 1978: The "Christmas Fire"

Lonnie Ulshaffer, an active senior at Bloomsburg High School, died on Christmas morning in her family's home; her parents made it safely out their bedroom window.   Firefighters spoke gravely about unopened presents waiting under the tree after the fire was put out. 

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  May 29, 1980: Turner and Getty Building

The Turner and Getty Furniture store was destroyed in a pre-dawn blaze.  Although the fire was out before school time, the students at the Memorial Elementary school across the street got the day off.  Although the building was torn down and losses were placed over a half-million dollars, the furniture store was up and running the next week at a different location in town.  Bloomsburg's first ladder truck had not yet been delivered; Berwick and Danville sent their ladder trucks.

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January 14,1983:  East Main St. Fire

As one of nine fires around town set one evening by an arsonist, the law offices of Cleve Hummel and the Candy Barrell were amongst multiple buildings and businesses destroyed on the north side of the 100 block of East Main Street.  

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March 1984: 3rd and Spruce Streets



Dominic Murtin, a student at Bloomsburg State College, was the only resident that did not escape a quick moving fire at 601-603 East 3rd Street.  Three other students escaped the fire and six other students were not home that evening.  

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October 21,1994:   "Beta Sig"



A smoldering fire on a couch on the front porch of the Beta Sigma Delta sorority at 56 Iron Street led to a fully involved struture fire that claimed the lives of 5 Bloomsburg University students (Derrick Mooney, Kyle Barton, James Palmer, Joseph Selena, and Debbie Keeler) on Homecoming weekend. 

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September 1997

An arsonist set multiple fires over a week and a half period, including the Public Works Department's garage/headquarters.  Ironically, the last buidling set on fire, which led to arrest of the arsonist, was a business at 899 Market Street that now houses the Bloomsburg Fire Department itself, as the town still had its four fire departments.  After petitioning the post office, the fire department's official mailing address became "911 Market St."

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March 19, 2000:   TKE House



A fast moving fire that burned neighboring houses at dawn claimed the lives of 3 Bloomsburg University students (Marcus LaBuda, Cliff Vail, and Kristoffer Polhemus) at the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house on 600 block of E. 4th St. 

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October 25, 2009:   West Main Street



A fire spread through 3, multi-story, adjoining buildings on 100 block of West Main Street that housed businesses, including Town Camera, and many apartments on the upper floors.  The fire was stopped on the fourth building from the corner, saving the remainder of the block.