"Firemen were called to The Village Inn about 10 a.m. on Sunday when fire was discovered in one of the bedrooms about two hours after the occupant of the room on the previous night had left the building. The mattress on the bed and the bedding, were burning when firemen entered and these were thrown from a window, thus ending the smoke in the building. It is supposed that a cigarette was the source of the fire."

An article about a highly destructive fire that swept through Holland Street, destroying multiple buildings, businesses and homes. The original article appeared in the May 22nd, 1871 edition of the Toronto Daily Telegraph and was reprinted in 1901 as part of the "Looking Backward" series.

"Fire, Fire, Fire!
I have pleasure in stating that I shall soon make arrangements, for the purpose of disposing of the Dry Goods saved from the Fire of the 24th ult. The Goods are in excellent condition and will be sold At and Less than Cost, for Cash. They are principally this Spring's purchases, and consist of Staples which everybody requires. I expect to see the "old familiar faces," and a good many new ones - and that, ere many weeks, the last "remnant" will have disappeared.
D. James George, Bradford, July 2, 1862."

The Bradford Witness decided to release a series of articles from local townspeople on the history of certain events in Bradford and West Gwillimbury's time. This week, the Holland River is the topic.

"No cause has yet been determined for a stubborn blaze which broke out in a house at 16 John Street East in Bradford last Tuesday.
The Bradford Fire Department was called out at about 4 pm to quell the blaze which broke out in a back apartment, occupied by Dick Gullinger.
Fire Chief Harold Boyd said the whole apartment was in flamed by the time the firefighters arrived on the scene, and there was no hope of saving it.
The back wall of the house was also badly damaged, and thick smoke made the rest of the house uninhabitable for the occupants of the other two apartments, John Faria Jr., and Louis Dasiba.
"It was a tough one to put out," Chief Boyd said, explaining there were many false ceilings in the old house which had to be torn away to get at the flames.
The chief estimated it took about three hours to put the fire out. The occupants managed to remove most of their belongings during the blaze, and there were no injuries. There has been no estimate of damage."

Bradford High School, destroyed by fire in 1923. These are the remains.

Firemen attempt to put out the fire that destroyed five businesses on Holland Street in Bradford. The businesses that were caught in the fire were Breen's Refrigeration Service, Evan's Men's and Boy's Wear, Model Bakery, Bradford 5 cents to $1.00 store and Harveys Meat Market. This photo is from the Bradford Womens Institute Scrapbooks.

The Bradford 5c to $1 store prior to the 1959 fire on Holland Street W. which damaged the building.

"While not disparaging the splendid service and fine co-operation of the firemen from neighbouring municipalities, in the battle to save Bradford from more extensive damage from fire last Wednesday, the brunt of the long hours of the fight, and the strain of responsibility, fell upon the home brigade, and their magnificent effort and success merits the gratitude of every Bradford property owner." ...