A month or so before exam week a tragedy occurs in downtown Fredonia. A candle sparked the flame that ignited the Barker Commons Apartments on Main Street, causing many of its occupants to flee from the building.“A young lady was trying to light a candle and it fell on a mattress,” Meyers said. He added that the girls in the apartment attempted to put the fire out before it spread to a nearby curtain and got out of hand.

The Fredonia Fire Department was notified and responded at 8:52 p.m. Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly two and a half hours before they were able to get it under control. Fire companies from Dunkirk, East Dunkirk, Mayville, Brocton and Westfield were all called in for mutual aid.

Hundreds of community members gathered outside the building and watched firefighters battle the blaze.

After watching that event the executive board of the A.C.H.A. hockey team decided to do some sort of fundraiser for the fire victims. That’s when Louie Maier had an idea to make signs, t-shirts and get the hockey team out around the intersection of the apartment and ask locals for donations. The event went wonderful and raised a total of just over $1,980 for the victims.