Reflecting on the fire at Thompson’s Country Market last Christmas morning
As Christmas nears, we find ourselves thinking back on last year’s holiday, when tragedy struck in West Sunbury.
On Christmas morning, Dec. 25, 2022, first responders from 33 fire departments left their presents waiting under the tree while they spent more than six hours fighting a fire at Thompson’s Country Market, located at 136 Main St.
The massive fire burned the market to the ground after it was deemed too dangerous to fight, but the “successful operation” prevented the spread to other buildings.
Reid Campbell, chief of West Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department, said the only structure severely damaged by the fire was the market itself.
In the days that followed, the community rallied around the four people who were displaced from the building’s upstairs apartments.
Crystal Baptiste, owner of 3 C’s Pizza, set up a donation drive for the families. Within only a few days, she had received 175 bags of clothes and household goods.
“(My kids) didn’t have anything. They were grateful to change (clothes) and not have that smoky smell on them,” Kiera Sears, a mother of two teenage children, said last December. “I’m so happy people jumped in and helped us, not even knowing us. It’s been incredible.”
The way the community responded — on Christmas Day and in the weeks afterward — really spoke volumes about Butler County. Around the holidays and always, this is the Butler County we are so fortunate to call home.
As we look forward to our cozy Christmases surrounded by loved ones, we want to offer our gratitude to those who allow us to enjoy our time with our family and friends.
Thank you to the first responders who stand ready to help amid tragedy, to the doctors and nurses who work the holiday caring for our loved ones, the dispatchers who respond to calls at anytime and so many others who work on the holidays.
— TL
