A four-alarm fire broke out on South 3rd Street in Oxford Borough on Sept. 13, causing devastating damage to local businesses and residential units. Twenty-five families totaling 90 people have been displaced from their homes above the store fronts and warehouses on the block. The entirety of Oxford’s Main Street is shut down, with power to the area cut. “We are saddened that so many residents, many of them with children, have been displaced by this tragedy,” said Kathryn Cloyd, borough council president. Oxford Borough released a statement that several of the buildings will likely need to be condemned as a result of the fire. The buildings are mixed-use structures with retail and commercial establishments on the first floor and residential apartments on the floors above. The Oxford Chamber of Commerce has set up a donations page to help those affected by the fire. Anyone who has information about an apartment or house rental is asked to contact Aaron Karpas at Neighborhood Services at akarpas@oxfordnsc.org. Oxford Borough Council has scheduled an emergency meeting to address matters related to the fire. The meeting will be held on Friday, Sept. 22, at 5 p.m. at Borough Hall, 1 Octoraro Alley.
Source: Chester County Press; 9/15/2023