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Village of Byron Fires
On June 24, 1898 the F.E. Close and Co. Bean Elevator was destroyed by
fire. The bucket brigade fought the fire for two hours saving the wheat
elevator and depot. It cost approximately $100 to repair the wheat
elevator and $10 to repair the depot. Then in 1909 both the elevator and
depot burned but were rebuilt immediately.
On December 2, 1919 a fire broke out in the John Lynde harness shop from
an over-heated stove destroying most of the east side of the main street
and cracking the big plate glass windows in the buildings on the other
side. High school students were dismissed to help the merchants save
their possessions.
1919 Fire East Side of Street
 Easter Sunday, April 10, 1955 after a busy day with three grass fires,
the whistle blew again about 3:30pm and bellowing black smoke was coming
from behind the store on the west side of the street. A warehouse
belonging to the Tower Hardware and Electric shop was on fire from a
trash fire burning unattended by renters in apartments above the store.
It burned into Roy Ketchum’s building and into the back of the hardware
store and spread to some of the other stores but with the aid of Byron
and five other fire departments they were able to save the buildings
with an estimated damage of $20,000.
In November 1968, the interior of the Masonic Temple was gutted by fire
caused by fumes from tar which exploded. Recalling the 1955 fire that
could have wiped out the entire business block, volunteers sent out an
SOS call to neighboring towns. Bancroft, Vernon, Gaines
1955 Fire inside Tower Hardware and Durand
responded to assist Byron with eleven
pieces of equipment. The kitchen
was destroyed and smoke and water damage to the lodge room, the clothing
store below and the W.R.C. hall was estimated at $15,000.
On August 2, 1994 another major fire threatened the west side of the
business block on Saginaw street. Fire gutted the Way Station restaurant
and the Pizza Parlor next door. Two other adjacent buildings received
smoke and water damage. The fire started from overheated grease in the
restaurant at 7:30a.m. Fire departments from Burns, Vernon, Argentine
townships and the cities of Durand, Howell and Swartz Creek responded to
assist and contain the blaze that threatened to engulf all the buildings
in the block. Water was pumped from both the hydrants and the river and
Howell’s ladder truck was used to pour water on the roof. The water
hydrant system was installed after the 1955 fire. |
