Franklin Firefighters Battle 5-story Structure Fire
By: Bill Palmer
Updated: February 19, 2013
February 19th, 2013
A five story office building caught fire on a busy street in downtown Franklin.
The Liberty Building in the 1200 block of Liberty Street had flames shooting from the top rear of the building on the fifth floor. The call came in around noon. The Franklin fire chief tells us that five fire departments responded to the fire. including Franklin, Oil City and Rocky Grove.
Venango County Emergency Management was on the scene to assist with air support. Two ladder trucks were able to extinguish the fire, but it took an hour and a half. The fire was contained to the fifth floor. The office building was full when the fire started; everyone got out safely.
Deep Harbor Properties owns the building. We spoke to Dale Wilson who is the former owner of the building and he says the building is a steel and concrete structure which likely contained the fire to the fifth floor.
The Liberty Building is home to Subway, Verizon Wireless, attorney offices and a social services agency.
Wilson currently owns the Bleakley Building next door and he has half a dozen apartments on the top floor of his building. There is damage to the roof above the apartments there. Four people were home at the time. Residents will be out of their apartments for at least the night. No word yet on a possible cause of the fire.
Picture courtesy of: Oil City Derrick
A five story office building caught fire on a busy street in downtown Franklin.
The Liberty Building in the 1200 block of Liberty Street had flames shooting from the top rear of the building on the fifth floor. The call came in around noon. The Franklin fire chief tells us that five fire departments responded to the fire. including Franklin, Oil City and Rocky Grove.
Venango County Emergency Management was on the scene to assist with air support. Two ladder trucks were able to extinguish the fire, but it took an hour and a half. The fire was contained to the fifth floor. The office building was full when the fire started; everyone got out safely.
Deep Harbor Properties owns the building. We spoke to Dale Wilson who is the former owner of the building and he says the building is a steel and concrete structure which likely contained the fire to the fifth floor.
The Liberty Building is home to Subway, Verizon Wireless, attorney offices and a social services agency.
Wilson currently owns the Bleakley Building next door and he has half a dozen apartments on the top floor of his building. There is damage to the roof above the apartments there. Four people were home at the time. Residents will be out of their apartments for at least the night. No word yet on a possible cause of the fire.
Picture courtesy of: Oil City Derrick
