On Saturday, April 27, at 1:58 am, a huge fire broke out in an abandoned furniture factory in Stewartstown. The blaze grew enough to the point where help was needed from Adams, Lancaster, York, Baltimore, and Harford county firefighters.
Local Eureka firefighters had been anticipating a fire for a while; they had installed a pipe into a nearby pond for fire hoses and created a 13-page plan for the inevitable burning of the factory. Although they were prepared, it took them almost three hours to put out a majority of the fire.
It is one of the biggest fires in Eureka history and left its mark on York County; news stations from all over Pennsylvania and some in Maryland reported on it. Locals had never seen such a huge disaster like this fire.
Officials evacuated surrounding neighborhoods, so no one was injured. The factory had been shut down since 1959, so there wasn’t anyone inside the building either. Aside from one house and the former Small Town Sweets building with some warped siding, there weren’t any other buildings that were damaged due to the fire.
It was still smoldering for days after, and what remained from the blaze was surrounded by smoke. Fortunately, any areas that are still slowly burning have been contained and cannot spread. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has also said that there are no worries about air and water quality.
The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal is actively investigating the cause of the fire. It will most likely take some time to figure out the exact cause, and any possibilities will be thoroughly investigated and ruled out until a singular cause is identified. Police are asking anyone in the area to check cameras for suspicious activity between 1:30 am and 2:30 am on Saturday.
This fire has demonstrated the importance of the Eureka 54 Volunteer Fire and Ambulance station. Many people give up their valuable time for the safety of Stewartstown, so it is crucial they get the funding necessary to continue serving the community. Eureka is in need of support, so consider donating to the local fire station.
