DISASTEROUS[sic] FIRE NARROWLY AVERTED IN IRONDALE

Fine Shafer Brick Block Nearly Goes Up in Smoke

A serious fire was narrowly averted in Irondale yesterday, when a pile of rubbish in the basement of the Shafer building was ignited. The building incases a heating plant, and in providing fuel for the furnace a considerable quantity of odds and ends was dumped into an open cellar. It is supposed that someone carelessly dropped a lighted match into the pile. When discovered it was burning fiercely, and only the heroic efforts of a large number of townspeople put an end to the blaze. The fire caused great excitement for a short time, as the block houses by far the greater number of prominent business establishments of the Steel City, and is so located that had the flames got beyond control practically the entire business section would have been wiped out.

Port Townsend Daily Leader, Port Townsend, WA 21 Jun 1910

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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!