Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Cressler’s Fruit Store Burns

On January 20, 1940 at 3:00 p.m. firemen raced to Cressler’s Fruit Store, West King Street for a building fire. An overheated furnace in the first floor sparked a fire that caused extensive damage to the second floor storeroom and smoke and water damage to first floor stock. Firemen worked for over an hour to control the blaze hampered by broken sections of hose. The Cumberland Valley had nine sections break and the Vigilant Hose had two sections break. Frank Cressler suffered a broken arm after jumping from a second floor window and another civilian suffered smoke inhalation and was rescued by firemen. Damages were estimated at $4,000. The Vigilant Hose and Cumberland Valley Hose companies battled the blaze. Firemen from the C.V. Hose Company returned later in the day to extinguish a small hot spot.

Also on this day in 2003 firefighter Keith Hess made the supreme sacrifice while performing his duties at a house fire.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

By the looks of the header photo, the building was still burning sometime into the 60's. Heck of a fire. I'll bet you just want to see if anyone's paying attention.

RB

Unknown said...

RIP Keith We miss you Bubba

Brad Myers said...

RB that was an accident that the two matched. If you remember the Cressler store that burnt this time was more of a house converted into a business.

Of course we have had fires like that at work and in Shippensburg that we were thankful it ran out of fuel or it may have never gone out.

Anonymous said...

The Hbg incinerator might be a good example, after all our good work someone keeps lighting the damn thing off. Shipp has had much better luck with theirs.

Were both Cressler stores at the same location, Brad? King & Spring is the one I remember.

RB

Brad Myers said...

Sorry RB missed, I missed your comment, I believe the first one was located the same place, I would need to dig into the books to confirm it.

Anonymous said...

The first one I was told was more on the corner of the lot on the intersection. I spoke to my grandfather and he cannot really remember the fire or his dad breaking an arm, but he was only 7 years old at the time.
Cressler

Brad keep it up you even have my old man checking the site.