October 15, 2007

Controlled fires scheduled to burn on Geneva′s campus this past Saturday, Oct. 13 were actually signs of progress.

That′s because two houses on the Geneva campus – Kessler House and Old Headland – were set ablaze by fire to be demolished as part of Geneva′s Beyond the Bend renovation project. The two structures, located on the corner of Fourth Avenue and 31st Street on College Hill, are on property adjacent to what will be the new campus entranceway and will provide much-needed parking spaces on the campus.

The structures′ demolition through controlled burning also provided practice and training for City of Beaver Falls fire-fighting personnel. Beaver Falls Fire Chief Mark Stowe said the practical experience was invaluable for the fire fighters.

The photos seen here are provided by Lou Adrian of Geneva security. Television news coverage on both WPXI-TV and WTAE-TV was aired on Oct. 13.