A newspaper photograph showing of the some of the damage caused by a fire that raged though three Lykens businesses on Sunday night, February 15, 1970. The caption for the photo indicated that all three buildings would have to be razed. From the Lykens Standard, February 26, 1970.
A week earlier, February 19, 1970, the story of the fire appeared in the Lykens Standard:
SUNDAY NIGHT BLAZE DESTROYS THREE LOCAL BUSINES PLACES; DAMAGE SET AT OVER $200,000
An excess of $200,000 dollar loss resulted from a fire which struck the Harry Forman & Son Clothing Store, Lykens T. V. Cable Company office, and the Billy Graeff Restaurant in the 500 block of Main Street, Lykens, Sunday night.
Mr. Graeff discovered smoke shortly before 10:00 p. m. and Liberty Hose Company answered the alarm which was turned in at approximately 10:05.
When firemen arrived there were no flames visible, but smoke poured from the Cable office when the door was opened.
The local firemen, aided by fire companies from Wiconisco, Williamstown and Elizabethville, battled the fire in freezing temperatures for more than six hours before bringing it under control.
Members of Liberty Hose Company No. 2 of Lykens remained on watch all day Monday and Monday night as the rubble continues to smolder.
A fire wall built after a fire at the same location in 1936 saved the Tri-Valley TV Store and apartment located west of the Graeff Restaurant.
The Tri-Valley firm has moved to the former Aboff store room in the 600 block of Main Street and the Lykens T. V. Cable Company has set up a temporary cable offices in the Gully building at the corner of Main and Market Streets.
The cable firm was able to salvage most of their records from the burned out office.
Electrical service to the entire community was shut down for more than an hour and service to the 600 block was not resumed for more than three hours.
Two firemen, James West of Lykens, and Peter Seredych of Wiconico, were injured when they were thrown from a ladder at the rear of the building.
They were removed to the Polyclinic Hospital by the Elizabethville ambulance which was on the scene. The hospital listed them in satisfactory condition.
An apartment above the Forman Store was unoccupied and used only for storage, but Mr. and Mrs. Glen Underkoffler, who lived in an apartment above the cable office, lost all their belongings. The couple was on a visit out of town when the fire occurred.
Mark Shadle, manager of the cable company, states his firm was quite lucky in being able to salvage records which would have taken months to replace.
In speaking with Mr. Robert Forman, owner of the clothing store, during the height of the blaze, he stated, “we will definitely rebuild.”
Mr. Forman’s father started the business many years ago in Lykens after he had been a partner with his brother in Forman Brothers Store in Wiconisco.
Trotter’s Restaurant, Lykens Hotel and several individuals served coffee and sandwiches to the firemen during the blaze….
Lester F. Deiter of Tower City, owns the building which housed the apartment, cable office and restaurant, in which the fire is believed to have started.
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News article and photo from Newspapers.com.
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