Update 8am 9/15:

The fire continued to reignite throughout the day, causing firefighters to set shifts to continue fighting it. The buildings affected were ultimately torn down to prevent spread. Local businesses Oxford Main Street Inc, The Maroon Hornet Collectibles, Dubarry of Ireland, and Toot Sweet have all been destroyed.

The Oxford Chamber of Commerce has set up a donations page to help those affected by the fire. Visit the link below to contribute. 

https://oxfordpa.org/oxford-fire/

If you know of an apartment or house rental please reach out to Aaron Karpas at Neighborhood Services at [email protected] 

Update 9:30pm 9/14 from The Red Cross:

"The Red Cross currently has 37 people at our shelter at Penn’s Grove Middle School in Oxford, Chester County, as of 9:30 p.m. The shelter will remain open overnight to all those displaced by last night’s fire on South Third Street. 

As we previously shared, on Friday morning, the Chester County Office of Emergency Management and Oxford Neighborhood Services Center will begin transitioning displaced residents from the shelter to hotel rooms for 14-30 days, during which time they will work with families to find permanent housing solutions. The Red Cross will continue to provide casework and emergency assistance, including emotional support, health services and financial assistance, to help these families recover."

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A four-alarm fire broke out around 11:30 pm Wednesday, 9/13 on South 3rd Street in Oxford, causing devastating damage to local businesses and residential units. Twenty-five familes totaling 90 people have been displaced from their residential units above the store front and warehouses on the block. The entirety of Oxford 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 Thursday morning noting 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.

Firefighters were on the scene within 5 minutes working to evacuate residents and contain the fire. Union Fire Company No. 1 is located just around the corner from where the fire broke out, and they were assisted by fire companies from surrounding townships. Officials are reporting no injuries at this time.

The fire was still smoldering early this morning, as the Oxford community began gathering donations and manning volunteer sites. Donations of food/water, toiletries and gift cards can be dropped at the SILO, Oxford Presbyterian Church and Oxford Neighborhood Service Center. Clothing donations are not needed at this time.

Oxford areas schools were closed for the day, as those displaced are being helped by The Red Cross at Penns Grove Middle School.

More details to follow.