The fire could have been worse, local residents said, hailing firefighters’ efforts to save nearby buildings.

The blaze in Bedford’s historic district gutted the building that housed the Collective Market at Pigeon Hill Studios. The shops inside included Pigeon Hill Studios, a picture framing service, a pottery and art studio; Mahendi Projects, a jewelry and essential oils market; and Deep Rooted, a shop featuring a variety of plants. In addition, two Airbnb units were located on the second and third floors of the building. Both were unoccupied at the time of the fire.

The owners of the shops were at the scene Tuesday morning, and while they mostly declined to comment while looking through what was left, one said she lost all her artwork, “but we didn’t lose people.”

Lindsay Salas, Downtown Bedford Inc. Main Street manager, said Mari-Pat Beene, owner of the building and Pigeon Hill Studios, was devastated by the fire, which destroyed the art studio and Beene’s one-of-a-kind artwork.

Police tape ropes off one of the buildings damaged by fire on Monday night in Bedford’s historic district. Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb

“It’s very heartbreaking,” Salas said, adding Beene “had many works of art that were very near and dear to her. … Paintings of her children, works she’s been working on for a while.”

The fire damaged several nearby structures, including Peppercorn Market, which was able to open for business Tuesday morning.

“We’re one of the rare ones. We didn’t lose any power, and there’s no smoke,” said Tyna Walker-Lay, who along with her husband, Patrick Lay, own the specialty gourmet market that features its namesake peppercorns along with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, spices, toys, gifts and more.

The structure housing Peppercorn was built in 1758 and shares a wall with the Pigeon Hill building.

It’s those shared walls and narrow spaces between buildings that could have allowed the fire to spread into multiple buildings, but “the fire department did an amazing job,” said Dennis Tice, director of the Bedford County Visitors Bureau, located just a few storefronts up from Pigeon Hill Studios.

Fire rages Monday night at the building that housed the Collective Market at Pigeon Hill Studios along the 100 block of South Juliana Street in Bedford. Courtesy photo by Missy Owens

Firefighters lauded

Residents and business owners lauded the efforts of firefighters, who worked in the cold, dark and pouring rain to keep the fire contained.

“I have to give all the credit to my guys,” said Bedford Fire Chief Gary Cooper. “I can’t tell you enough how proud I am. It was an amazing effort.”

Cooper, who lives just outside of the downtown area, said he could see the fire as he responded to the call.

“We had a tremendous amount of fire when we first got on scene,” he said. Protecting the other buildings and stopping the fire from spreading was “a major, major concern.”

Fire destroyed several businesses in Bedford's historic district on Monday night. Mirror photo by Holly Claycomb

It wouldn’t have been possible without the mutual aid response, he said.

Seven fire departments turned out to help Bedford, including Alum Bank, Cumberland Valley Township, Everett, Saxton, Shawnee Valley, Southern Cove and Windber.

“We thank them for their help,” Cooper said. “Without them, it could have been a different outcome.”

A ready supply of water from nearby fire hydrants, coupled with tankers and manpower allowed the firefighters to get a handle on the blaze and the scene was cleared in about 3.5 hours, he said.

The timing of the fire was also a big help, as all the buildings involved in the incident were unoccupied, he said.

One firefighter from Shawnee Valley did suffer a shoulder injury, Cooper said, noting that Bedford and Chestnut Ridge ambulance services were on scene throughout the night.

Damage set at $650,000

The fire marshal is investigating the blaze, which caused about $650,000 in damage between the building and its contents, Cooper said.

While the art studio was a total loss, the front section, where Mahendi was located, may be salvageable, he said.

The storefront would be the oldest section of the building, dating from the early 1800s, while the back part of the building was built in the early 1900s. As is the case for many old buildings, pieces were added on over the years, he noted.

Walker-Lay also owns the three-story building behind Peppercorn. At one point during the night, that building caught fire, she said, and with blown out windows, melted siding and standing water on the first floor, “we’re not sure it’s going to be salvageable.”

In all, at least five structures were damaged, including the former Kline Furniture store, where flames charred the window frames but didn’t make it into the building itself.

Walker-Lay said she could see the fire from her home on a hill in the Meadowbrook Terrace area, about a mile from downtown.

From her deck,

Walker-Lay can “see the whole horizon of the town.” Monday night into Tuesday morning the skyline was filled with smoke and massive waves of flames rising into the sky, she said.

She’s thankful for the firefighters’ efforts to save the historic buildings, noting “they did such a good job.”

“It was cold, pouring down rain, it was dark, it was midnight. … They focused on what they could do, what they could save,” she said.

Bedford County resident, Everett graduate and local ServePro rep Missy Owens also praised the efforts of the firefighters.

As she handed out water, making sure firefighters stayed hydrated, she could see they all worked well together.

On Tuesday, residents and business owners rallied behind those affected by the fire, dispensing hugs in person and condolences and well wishes on Facebook pages.

Salas said the community is working on ways to help those affected by the fire “to show them that the community does care.”