Downtown Bellefonte reopens after fire on roof of Confer’s Jewelers building

Downtown Bellefonte roads were closed Friday afternoon as Centre County emergency crews worked in sweltering heat to put out a fire on the roof of the Confer’s Jewelers building.

Undine Fire Company Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey Arnold said crews were dispatched to 100 N. Allegheny St. around 1:45 p.m. for reports of smoke coming from the roof of the building.

“Crews made access and determined ... some wires had caught on fire and dropped on to a rubber roof,” he said.

All workers inside the building and occupants on upper floors were evacuated within 15 minutes of crews arriving, Arnold said.

About 40 minutes later, West Penn Power arrived on the scene to turn off the electricity of the building. Then, firefighters worked to contain the flames.

Arnold said about 50 personnel were present at the scene. With the temperature approaching 90 degrees, he said emergency medical services make sure the firefighters were safe and hydrated.

“Water is very important in a fire like this, to keep yourself hydrated,” he said. “Just working for five or 10 minutes ... most people know even in your yard can be overwhelming, let alone (with) the several pounds of gear that we wear.”

For about two hours, there were roads closures throughout downtown, with emergency crews using the “diamond” at the corner of West High Street and Allegheny Street near the Centre County Courthouse as a staging area. By 3:45 p.m., roads had reopened.

No businesses or residential buildings sustained any damage, and occupants were allowed to return. There were no injuries and the fire is under investigation, Arnold said.

Crews from Logan Fire Company, Undine Fire Company, Pleasant Gap Fire Company, Citizens Hook and Ladder Fire Company, Walker Township Fire Company, Alpha Fire Company, Bellefonte EMS and Pleasant Gap EMS also responded.

This story was originally published July 5, 2019 at 2:00 PM.