Like many in our community, I awoke early Thursday morning to the news of a devastating fire in downtown Oxford overnight.  After stopping by Giant to pick up a few cases of bottled water and ready-to-eat snacks, I made my way to Penn’s Grove Middle School, where the American Red Cross had established a shelter for residents who had just lost everything they owned in the fast-moving blaze.  

The Red Cross had, in very short order, set up the gymnasium with beds, blankets, and chairs.  Down the hall, the cafeteria became the canteen, with hot meals and snacks.  I was deputized to manage the snack area for those affected by the fire as well as volunteers assisting in the shelter.  For the rest of the day, I had a front row seat to the incredible generosity and community spirit that makes our small corner of the world such a blessed place to live. 

A number of the Red Cross volunteers were familiar faces from across Southern Chester County.  In addition to their everyday work, they volunteer to get woken up in the middle of the night to immediately and cheerfully respond to crisis situations like this one.

Also in immediate response were local community members from the Lighthouse Youth Center, the Neighborhood Services Center, LCH, and SILO.  And they were not milling around looking for something to do – they actively and professionally sprang into action to practically meet needs with loving responses.  Folks displaced from the fire were asked their sizes and an area business provided them with brand-new clothes. Later in the afternoon, another local business owner and their staff arrived with a large selection of brand-new clothes and shoes and turned a corner of the Penn’s Grove cafeteria into a clothing boutique so those affected could ‘shop’ for themselves.  Children who had the trauma of seeing their homes on fire earlier in the day were given special attention, stuffed animals, and many hugs.  An Italian ice food truck arrived to provide cold treats.  My staff was onsite for most of the day helping as needed.  We have already started processing paperwork to obtain replacement driver’s licenses for folks who lost them in the fire.  

Businesses both large and small, without being prompted, showed up outside the Penn’s Grove cafeteria with pallets of Gatorade, water, orange juice, potato chips, soft pretzels, breakfast sandwiches, fresh fruit, trail mix, chocolate milk pints, cookies, hot food, and more.  At one point I looked around the cafeteria and wondered where we were going to put all of the donated food.  

The Oxford Area School District should be commended.  Superintendent David Woods was on-site and made sure the Red Cross had the support they needed from the district.  Cafeteria workers served up hot meals with a smile for both displaced residents and volunteers.  School district administration, staff, teachers, board members, janitors, and school police all contributed to the efforts as well.  

Mayor Phil Harris took a leadership role and was onsite from nearly the very beginning, along with the borough manager.  Several borough council members were on site as well lending a hand for much of the day.  Chester County Emergency Services coordinated the county’s response and opened communication lines with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.  Senator Comitta and staff from Representative Houlahan’s office came to offer support as well.  

Anyone who has been in the Penn’s Grove cafeteria knows there is a large bank of windows that overlooks Fifth Street.  All day long, fire trucks passed by delivering water to the station set up along Third Street.  More than 30 surrounding fire companies from Lancaster, Chester, and Delaware counties, and from Maryland and Delaware responded to what eventually became a five-alarm fire.  Seeing tankers, trucks, and personnel from near and far coming alongside the brave and tireless firefighters of Union Fire Company – it was truly incredible.  Thank you to each of these mutual aid companies, some of whom came from very long distances, to assist Oxford in its hour of need.   

Throughout the day, reports from downtown trickled into the shelter – it became apparent that at least four buildings were heavily damaged.  All I could think was – it is a miracle no one lost their life.  And it is another miracle that only those buildings were lost.  Don’t get me wrong, that is a major and incredible loss, but in my view the heroic firefighters from Union Fire Company and beyond deserve endless praise for stopping the fire from consuming the whole block.  I cannot express enough thanks to the firefighters and fire police, both from Union Fire Company and those from surrounding mutual aid communities, for their 12-, 16-, and 24- hour shifts combating the fire. 

We heard harrowing tales of folks getting out of the buildings in the nick of time, and almost unbelievable stories of bravery shown by firefighters and Oxford police officers going through burning buildings getting residents out.  Not all of the stories were good stories – members of community lost everything.  Downtown businesses were wiped out.  Buildings were going to be demolished by the end of the day. 

There are many other stories to be told.  A number of local churches were onsite at the shelter meeting physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  A local Amish man dropped off a trailer load of supplies.  A local towing company quietly moved affected residents’ vehicles that survived the blaze to the Penn’s Grove parking lot all day long – and since many had lost their car keys in the fire, another local business owner brought in a locksmith to get everyone into their cars and furnished with new keys.  A great deal of food and relief supplies were coordinated through Oxford Presbyterian Church.  

The Oxford Chamber of Commerce quickly sprang into action, both online and physically with staff and board members both at the shelter and elsewhere in town. After putting out a call for funds, the Chamber raised over $50,000 cash in less than 48 hours, with thousands more in gift cards distributed to those who has suffered loss.  Oxford Mainstreet, whose headquarters was completely destroyed in the fire, was up online in support of affected business owners and also raised sizable funds in a matter of hours.  

As afternoon became evening at Penn’s Grove, a Red Cross staffer shared with me and my staff that they had been involved in dozens of emergency situations up and down the East Coast, yet they had never seen anything like the outpouring of support from the community in Oxford.  They were literally speechless in response to Oxford’s response.  Things that normally take days for the Red Cross to coordinate instead were coordinated by local folks in a matter of hours.  It is a testament to this community that deserves to be recognized.   

On Friday, the focus intensified on finding a place for everyone to stay after the shelter closed.  Text chains of community leaders came together to coordinate needs and resources.  I sat next to one volunteer as they negotiated an apartment lease for one of the affected families.  Impromptu meetings between non-profits, government leaders, business owners, and community volunteers came together with enough structure and flexibility to set schedules and manage needs.  Longer term needs of affected residents—new furniture, rides to work, transportation to school—are being addressed and coordinated with shared resources.  

As I write this on Saturday morning, there are still many needs to be met and much work to do, but the foundation has been laid and teams of servant leaders continue to adjust to meet the needs of affected residents and business owners.  Electricity is being restored to surrounding buildings.  The Oxford Area Historical Association has provided space for Oxford Mainstreet to operate.  Daily meetings have been established to bring coordination to relief efforts to minimize overlap and tie up loose ends.  If you would like to help contribute financially to the residents and businesses that have suffered loss, I would encourage you to donate online via either the Oxford Chamber of Commerce website or the Oxford Mainstreet website.

Oxford has seen tragedy before.  I remember, as a child, the Oxford Presbyterian Church fire in 1989.  That fire left a gaping hole in town that was eventually filled with a new, vibrant building that has been serving the community since the day it reopened.  And, in truth, it is not the building, it is the people in the building that make the difference.   

I don’t think it is a stretch to compare that tragedy and rebirth to today.  We have another gaping hole, this time in the middle of town. The rebirth and renewal will take time, but I have no doubt that Oxford is up for the challenge.  And what results will build upon the long, proud history of this town to bring about an even stronger testament to the strength and spirit of Oxford.

Tragedy brings out the true colors of a community.  What I saw, what I heard, what I witnessed – it deserves to be recognized for what it is – a community with deep roots and real care and love for friends and neighbors.  I am grateful to every person who showed up, sacrificed, and served.  We should all be grateful to be a part of a community that leaves the Red Cross speechless.