Third Floor Apartment Gutted

On March 3, 1969 at 2:30 p.m. the Shippensburg Civil Defense room alerted firemen to a building fire at 19 East King Street, the Western Auto Store. A fire of undetermined origin destroyed a three bedroom third floor apartment and caused water damage to the second floor apartments and the first floor store, occupants of a dozen apartments were forced to flee the building. This was the second fire in the building in the last week. On February 24 a fire was set in the hallway. A suspect was arrested in connection with that blaze. Damages in this fire were estimated at $4,500. The Vigilant Hose, Cumberland Valley Hose and West End Fire and Rescue companies battled the blaze. Borough Fire Chief Dan Orris gave high praise to the efforts of the firemen and police department in their handling of the blaze and traffic. This was the third Monday in a row that Shippensburg had been a victim of a suspicious fire.