FIRE DESTROYS HISTORIC HOOS BUILDING

  A devastating fire possibly fueled by propane swept through the historic Hoos Building Tuesday afternoon and  destroyed four local business locations located at the intersection of Main and Pearl Streets.

  Several bystanders at the scene of the fire said they heard an explosion somewhere around 3:30 and shortly after that the left side of the building housing the Moose-Be-Morning   

Coffee Co. Cafe was engulfed in flames.

  Livingston Manor firemen quickly arrived at the scene and noted, "it was cooking when we got here."

  Smoke from the fire was reportedly seen from as far away as Monticello.

  Firemen from Roscoe and Liberty assisted at the scene with Liberty using their ladder truck to get above the blazing building. 

  Youngsville firemen stood by at the Livingston Manor Fire House.

  Both Livingston Manor Volunteer and Mobilmedic EMS were on the scene but only one minor injury was reported that being an injury to the eye of one of the firemen. 

  A large contingent of New York State police secured the fire scene and kept telling people to get at least 100-yards away from the building. They were very much aware of a large propane tank located in the rear of the building and when it exploded it shook buildings several block away.

  When the large propane tank exploded it set a large heavy metal lid high in the air which landed near the front sidewalk of the Sunoco Gas Station some 50 to 60 yards across the street. EMS personnel at the scene indicated it would have seriously injured someone if it had hit anyone.  

  The historic Hoos Building was estimated by its present owner Barry Foster to be over 100 years old and was formerly owned by Odie Hoos's father and then by Odie and his brother Fred. At one time Alice Hoos ran the famous Hoos Bakery where they featured the best Coffee Crumb cake made.

  Odie Hoos for years operated a popular luncheonette in the part of the building that presently housed the Lazy Beagle Pub & Grill.

  Barry Foster owned the building for the past eight years and the Lazy Beagle Pub has been in operation for four years and three months.

  Tenants in the building also included the Willow and Brown clothing and housewares shop.

  Barry himself owned and operated the Hot Corner Sports Collectibles store which contained a considerable amount of baseball and sports memorabilia. 

  Former Town Supervisor Lee Siegel at the scene of the fire said "this is a tremendous loss for our community."

  It was also reported at the scene that a propane delivery had been made earlier in the day and that the operators of the Coffee Cafe usually close up for the day around 2 p.m.

  No one was occupying any of the business locations at the time of the fire. 

  Livingston Manor Fire  Chief Dan Roser has indicated that the building is "destroyed" and Sullivan County Emergency Services Commissioner Richard Martinkovic pointed out that as a result of the damage sustained to the building it would have to be leveled.

  As to the possible cause of the fire Martinkovic said that "everything is centered around propane." 

  It took several hours to bring the fire under control but the fire  triggered NYSEG to cut off the power in that section of the community with electricity coming back on somewhere shortly after 10 p.m. that evening. 

  The building was leveled overnight and indications Wednesday morning were that the site  would not meet building code standards for construction of a new building at this location.

PHOTOS FROM THE FIRE SCENE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND WEDNESDAY MORNING.....