A fire at an apartment house at 63 South Ave. Thursday was
determined to have originated in a first floor apartment on a
couch, according to Kane-based state police Fire Marshal Cpl.
Martin K. Henneman.
According to Henneman, who was assisted in the investigation by
the Bradford City Fire Department, the fire burned into a wall and
up to the second and third floors. Radiant heat from the fire
ignited a garage behind the building.
The investigation continues into what caused the fire on the
couch.
The estimated damage caused by the fire is $100,000, according
to Henneman.
The city fire department was dispatched at 9:08 p.m. to the
blaze, with the Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department also
responding. The fire was “fully involved” when firefighters
arrived.
No injuries were reported in the fire, officials said.
Edna Hallock, who owned the building at 63 South Ave., said
Friday there were five apartments in the building with a total of
10 people living there.
One apartment building on Tibbetts Avenue at the rear of the
house was evacuated at 10:30 p.m. as a precaution due to heavy
smoke and a mice problem, according to a member of the Bradford
City Fire Department.
According to the fire department member, there were three
residents in that apartment building, and all the residents there
were back in the house the next day.
Hallock said Sunday her husband was going to look over the
building today to see if it can be rebuilt.
“If it’s rebuildable, he’s going to rebuild it,” Hallock said.
“It might takes us a while … but we’ll work at it.”
Hallock said the McKean-Potter Counties Chapter of the American
Red Cross offered to help out all of the tenants displaced by the
fire. However, no comment was received from the Red Cross Friday as
to what arrangements were being made.
Hallock previously said she offered a place to stay to all the
tenants. Some of the tenants are renting in another of Hallock’s
apartment buildings, and others are staying in hotels or searching
for other places to stay. Hallock said she knew for sure that three
of the residents found other places to live.
In addition to the Red Cross, the McKean County SPCA was called
to the scene to care for some animals displaced by the fire.
