On Thursday night March 30, 1950 at 8:45 p.m. the Belleville Fire Department responded to 302 Front Street,  Wiseman’s Fashion Shop. Flames were sweeping through the four storey building owned by J.Diamond. 

Fire Chief Gerald Vance called all off duty firefighters in to help quell the blaze. They fought the blaze for 5 hours using 10 hose streams including the department’s new aerial ladder truck. Chief Vance credited the new truck for helping to confine the fire to the building of origin. The fire had started in the basement and was fed by 500 gallons of furnace oil.

The fire left 4 families homeless and with no belongings.  The fire is estimated to have caused $125,000 (in 1950 dollars) damage. This was the second fire in the building. The first having occurred in 1900 when the store was occupied by L.W Yeomans drug store. Mr. Yeoman died in the fire.

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