Candle may have caused Tuesday fire along Route 8, official said
CENTER TWP — The demolition of a commercial building along Route 8 was hastened Tuesday evening, Dec. 30, when the structure caught fire, possibly from a candle left lit inside, according to an official.
Unionville Volunteer Fire Company chief Mike Pflugh said eleven fire companies responded to the fire following an initial call reporting the flames at 4:18 p.m., according to Butler County Emergency Services dispatch reports.
Pflugh said he was told the two-story commercial building at 2162 William Flynn Highway near Clyde Drive likely caught fire from a candle. Demolition of the building had been planned prior to the fire.
Pflugh said two of the largest challenges were maintaining a water supply and traffic control. The smoke from the fire created “zero” visibility across Route 8 as cars passed, and there were only two hydrants nearby for trucks to pull from.
Two trucks maintained an aerial attack on the fire, and many of the remaining fire companies were called in for their tankers.
“This incident was a true example of mutual aid at its best,” the Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Company and Rescue Team said on its Facebook page. “Multiple departments worked seamlessly together, communicating and supporting one another to bring the fire under control safely and efficiently.”
No injuries were reported while crews were on scene for almost two hours. The fire had destroyed the roof by the time it was extinguished, so the demolition company then knocked down the walls with a bulldozer about an hour into the incident.
According to Butler County property records, the building belongs to Mike DeMayo, who purchased it for $125,000 in November 2025.
Earlier this year, the property was listed for sale through the Berkshire Hathaway realty firm. According to the website’s listing, the structure was built in 1955 and was condemned by Center Township prior to the fire.
“The building is considered uninhabitable in its present state and may be beyond repair,” the listing said. “The property is being sold as is.”
Due to water runoff on Route 8 from the fire, PennDOT sent salt trucks to the area for crews during the incident.
“Big thank you for Center Twp. for bringing a salt truck out to salt the road for us in these freezing temps,” the West Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department said on its Facebook page.
Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Company and Rescue Team, Prospect Borough-Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Department, West Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department, Butler Township Volunteer Fire District, Oneida Valley Volunteer Fire Company, Herman Volunteer Fire Company, Connoquenessing Volunteer Fire Company, Portersville-Muddy Creek Township Volunteer Fire Department, Harrisville Volunteer Fire Company and North Washington Volunteer Fire Department, Butler Ambulance Service and West Penn Power also responded to the initial call.
At 9:18 p.m., four stations were alerted for a possible rekindling of the fire and were on scene for about seven minutes. The Unionville, West Sunbury, Prospect and Slippery Rock fire companies responded to the rekindling.
