Shortly after 2 p.m. on Tuesday December 14, 2004 the Port Jervis Fire Department was alerted for a structure fire at 187 Pike St in the downtown business district.
A short time later Port Jervis Car 1 (Chief Don DeVore) arrived on scene and reported heavy smoke and flames showing and requested immediate mutual aid for a FAST Team and Tankers to the scene.
The fire quickly spread from the building of origin to two exposure buildings and threatened another. Additional aerial ladders and tankers were requested from three States (Port Jervis is located where New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania come together) in a successful attempt to stop the further spread of the flames.
At the height of the fire there were four aerial master streams and two Portable Pond sites in operation. The cause of the fire which destroyed the 3 buildings remains under investigation by the Orange County Fire Investigation. The Mutual Aid came from Sussex Co NJ, Sullivan Co., New York, Pike Co. Pennsylvania as well as numerous departments from Orange County.