CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield Fire Department received praise from members Clearfield Borough Council and the mayor at Thursday evening’s meeting for the way they handled the fire that occurred at 416 E. Locust Street Monday night.
The fire started around 9:10 p.m. It originated as a grease fire. The resident who’s apartment the fire started in sustained burns as a result. A cat died in the fire.
Fire Chief Mike Mayersky commended the firefighters and how well they worked together. He said once everything was set up the fire was extinguished rather quickly. According to Mayersky, there were eight companies that worked to extinguish the fire, with two others on standby.
Council member Wade Cowder told Mayersky that they did good putting out the fire.
Along with the praise of how well the fire department did also came warnings to the public about the danger of interfering with the job the firefighters are doing.
Of the onlookers Mayersky said, “I don’t have a problem if you’re standing a block away but when they’re right up in the fire scene that makes our job ten times harder.”
Mayersky said the firefighters not only have to be concerned with their safety but also with the safety of the public who come to the scene. He also said that if something in the house had exploded onlookers could have been seriously injured.
Council President James Leitzinger said he got to the scene of the fire sometime after it started and observed people walking over fire hoses and children playing over the hoses as well.
“If one of those hoses would have ruptured there would have been serious injury or death,” Leitzinger said.
Leitzinger’s final word to the public was, “Stay away from the fires.”
Borough Operations Manager Leslie Stott said the fire police, Clearfield Borough Police Department and the Lawrence Township Police Department were on the scene and were not enough to contain the public.
Mayor James Schell thanked the fire department for their response to the fire but also had a warning for the public.
“If they feel the need to be on a fire scene or accident scene, stop by the mayor’s office and I’ll be glad to give you an application. We had a lot of public down there that needed to not be there. If you see cones set up on alleys and streets, they’re there for a reason. Please don’t get out of your car, move them, and then continue down so you can take pictures with your cell phone. That’s why the press is there.”
