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At 11:10pm, Clymer Station 150 and Indiana County Rapid Intervention Group were dispatched to Bence's Furniture in Clymer Borough for a structure fire. Station 150's Chief arrived to find heavy fire on the first floor rapidly spreading to the second. A full first alarm and second alarm were dispatched sending ladder trucks from Indiana Station 100 and Spangler Station 58 (Cambria County) along with full company responses from Cherry Hill Station 240, Commodore Station 540, and Marion Center Station 190.

Clymer began attack with their aerial master stream and multiple handlines concentrating on saving the apartments attached to the store. Units from Commodore laid in and began exterior operations on the rear of the structure while Cherry Hill units worked on supplying the snorkel from Spangler.

The tower from Indiana began setup but was delayed by a lack of an immediate water supply. Additional alarms for manpower were alerted, sending Pine Township Station 570, Homer City Station 180, Cherrytree Station 520, and Indiana Station 100-4.

With the entire first and second floor fully involved, the multiple master streams quickly drained the town's reservoir so ten additional tankers from two counties were activated. Hope Station 50 (Cambria County) and Revloc Station 44 (Cambria County) set up a massive tanker shuttle, supplying 4 trucks at a time from a small creek behind Clymer's Station. Other tankers responding came from Aultman Station 270, West Lebanon Station 270, Burnside, Glen Campbell Station 170, Indiana Station 100, Rossiter Station 340, and Brush Valley Station 230 from Indiana County. Tankers from Cambria County included Vitondale Station 45, Ebensburg Station 22, Nanty Glo Station 43, and Nicktown Station 59.

The furniture store eventually collapsed but the apartments and a hardware store that were connected were saved. The tanker shuttle and aerial operations continued until approximately 11:00 the next morning with the final units leaving around 12:30pm. Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal's Office is investigating.

Pictures/Story by: Adam Nolder