Help For Holidays, Assistance Offered For Bellefonte Fire Victims
Posted: 6:21 pm EST December 23,2009Updated: 6:53 pm EST December 23,2009
BELLEFONTE, Pa. -- Two dozen victims displaced by a devastating fire in Bellefonte Tuesday morning were offered help from local groups and businesses.Centre County Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Rockey urged victims of the Old Cadillac Building fire to talk with agencies inside the Willowbank Building in Bellefonte Wednesday.“What we’re trying to do there is get a small business administration disaster out of it,” said Rockey.“Which would then open up low interest loans and some other possible relief avenues for the businesses and residents.”Members of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and American Red Cross met with fire victims throughout the day to document losses and ensure displaced victims have a place to stay.“The American Red Cross has provided service to all 18 families that lived in that building,” said local Red Cross representative Romayne Naylor.Fire victim Walter Hook survived the Old Cadillac Building fire Tuesday morning. He also survived two other fires, including the Bellefonte Academy fire in 2004.Hook told WJAC-TV at the Willowbank Building Wednesday that he’s grateful for everyone taking time to help just before Christmas.“They’re going to help me out with clothing, food and stuff I need. They’ve been pretty nice so far.”The Wireless Made Simple store in Bellefonte is located across the street from the damaged Old Cadillac building.Wireless Made Simple owner Eric Bruckner is offering free, loaner cell phones to the fire victims.“They need to be able to communicate so, we’re offering to give them free phones to use in the meantime to replace phones,” said Bruckner. If they just didn’t have a phone, we’ll just give them one to use for the meantime.”PennDOT reopened the intersection of Bishop and Allegheny streets after an engineer deemed the building structurally stable.The State Police Fire Marshal investigating the fire told WJAC-TV that the blaze is not suspicious, but has not released a cause.
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