Seeing firefighters use axes to chop through windows on the top floors of the buildings on the 200 block of Butler’s South Main Street had Krista Washkau worried that Jan. 30, 2021, was the last time she would see the inside of her workplace.

While the Edward Jones office on the block wasn’t a victim of the flames in the biggest fire to strike the city that year, Washkau said the office took “tons of water and smoke damage,” which would make it uninhabitable.

Despite the shock experienced by the Butler community that Saturday morning, there was a glimmer of hope brought about by the rest of the downtown business community.

“I was heartbroken because I thought we were going to lose our second home,” said Washkau, who is also secretary of Butler Downtown. “What was really amazing to us is the fire happened Saturday morning, and by that afternoon we had four or five offers from people downtown with office space.

“That's what's amazing is there is a little community here, especially from the business owners.”

It has been two years since a fire burned through businesses on Main Street. Although Sir Speedy and Reclamation Brewing have not returned to the historic buildings, several of the affected businesses have come back, and others enterprises have moved in to the previously burned spaces.

Audrianna Bly, president of Butler Downtown, said her organization and the downtown business community are thankful that the property owners were able to rehabilitate the buildings and bring commerce back to the 200 block in the two years since the fire.

“It was kind of depressing,” Bly said of the destruction. “From it going from nothing being able to be done there and now every spot filled in, it's going to be really exciting for the city.”

A four-alarm fire broke out at around 8:15 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, in the Sir Speedy building on South Main Street, which drew about 80 firefighters from 13 departments. The extra hands and five ladder trucks that responded helped tame the flames during a battle that lasted more than four hours. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries fighting the fire, according to Chris Switala, chief of the Butler Bureau of Fire.

Fire crews had to force in locked doors in the back and front of the Sir Speedy building to get inside.

Switala said firefighters took an “aggressive” approach to stemming the flames when the fire repeatedly resurfaced during the course of the day.

Though the fire seemed to be concentrated in the rear of the Sir Speedy building, it did result in severe damage to the front of the structure. Holes were cut into the roof for ventilation purposes.

Jim Taylor is the proprietor of Taylor's Country Court Properties of West Sunbury, which owns the units from 229 S. Main St. to 231 S. Main St. He said the fire was a devastating event, but the first responders who extinguished the flames that day helped save historic buildings.

“There are photos of the block that go back to 1898. They have people riding in horse-drawn buggies,” Taylor said. “We had a lot of moral support after the fire.”

Miller’s Shoes, which has been on Main Street for about 130 years, also took some flame damage in the fire, but it was the smoke and water damage that put the business out of commission for a time.

Jimmy Chiprean, owner of Miller’s Shoes, said it took around eight months for the business to reopen, so the building could get its necessary repair work.

“It was a devastating day in our 130-year history here as a downtown Butler destination,” Chiprean said. “It involved a lot of restoration including repairs to the roof, water damage, shoes had to be replaced. The HVAC system had to be fixed up and all new electric LED lighting was put in.”

In February 2021, Taylor decided to demolish the building that housed Sir Speedy, so reconstruction work could start following an inspection of the site.

In the years since, the building has been restored to the point that a new business is able to move in, according to Taylor.

“We've done a lot of work down there and getting ready to have a new business in the next couple weeks,” Taylor said.

In October, a new store opened at the former home of Reclamation Brewing, Robin’s Home Thrift Store and Donation Center, at 221 S. Main St.

Mary Chitwood, director of Robin’s Home, said she signed a lease with St. Esprit Holdings Group for the property in September, and the site didn’t need much reconstructive work from the fire by that time.

“We had to do some cosmetic work, mostly painting,” Chitwood said.

Chiprean said that although Miller’s had to get rid of most of the shoes in the shop because of the fire damage, he was also able to secure new ones without much trouble.

“We were very lucky, and we reached out to our shoe companies to restock, which was not easy to do at the time,” he said.

Bly said seeing foot traffic return to the 200 block is a good sight, made even better because it wasn’t promised in the aftermath of the fire.

“There are a few new businesses opening up, and that's great to see,” Bly said. “We're happy that Miller's was able to open up and new businesses are going to be coming in.”

Being a new addition to the 200 block, Chitwood said she is a little surprised at how well the thrift store has been doing since it opened. She said many people who live in or near downtown make donations to the thrift store, and even more people have been shopping there in recent months.

“This part of Main Street has seen a lot of revitalization,” she said. “The Cannella Cafe is right across the street. Mico’s is there; a lot of new businesses have moved in.”

The reopening of Miller’s Shoes in September, 2021 was also a long-awaited event for many Butler shoppers, according to Chiprean.

“We were very happy to reopen with our very loyal customers,” Chiprean said. “They said, ‘Jimmy, we've been waiting to buy shoes from you and the Chiprean family.’”

Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy commented on how the improvement of the downtown block will help drive people and business to Butler County.

“Success breeds success, that impacts other businesses in the same way,” he said. “There’s a symbiotic relationship between all business in the downtown area.”

Washkau said the difference two years made on the street is staggering, because what could have been a dead block is instead attracting new businesses and more visitors to downtown.

“From Butler Downtown's perspective, that's amazing. We're happy,” Washkau said. “This block is thriving. I can't emphasize enough how much it does feel like home.”