3/21/1901
FARMER CAUSES FALSE ALARM. A few nights ago our fire bell sounded the alarm of fire, at the Stanton Myers place, whom lives a short distance out of town. Our firemen soon gathered, the horses were harnessed and away they went on a run. All the fire they found was in a pile of green apple tree brush. Mr. Myers had been trimming some of his trees and was trying to burn the brush.

6/21/1901
CHILD DIES FROM BURNS. John Donley's children were left alone and they commenced to play with fire. The youngest one, 18 months old, was burned so badly that it died Sunday and was buried on Monday.

2/20/1902
FIRE CO. REPONDS TO FIRE IN CLARKSBORO. The town was startled during the morning about 9 o'clock, by the clanging of the fire bell, and the rush and roar of the fire apparatus going through town on a run. It was learned that Mr. Joseph DeVault Jr.'s dwelling house, near Clarksboro, was on fire. Help arrived too late to save the house, but nearly all the furniture was gotten out by the help of passengers on the Salem train, and moved to a neighbors across the street. The train stopped and the engineer blew the danger signal to arouse the whole neighborhood, and thus the contents of the building were saved. Constable W. Canning, who was in the building trying to save some of the goods, was struck in the back of the head by a falling timber, and the hot embers burned a large spot on his back. The building was almost a new seven roomed house, and was insured for $1200. The fire started from a defective flue and got such headway, before help arrived, that the building was doomed. The Paulsboro Fire Co. could render but little aid on the account of the scarcity of water.

2/27/1902
FIREMEN FIGHT FIRE IN SNOWSTORM. At 3 o'clock during the morning, the fire bell again awoke our inhabitants to learn that a house owned by W. J. Adamson, at Billingsport, occupied by John Hoffman, was on fire. Our fire company was soon on the scene, amid the fierce snowstorm, and saved the surrounding property, while the house was burned to the ground. Mr. Adamson says the house was insured. With 2 houses burned in one week and most of our wells driven, much embarrassment was caused in using the fire engine. Is it not time that we stop talking and get to work at a water supply?

3/17/1902
STOVE STORE ON FIRE. The fire department was called out at night to put out a blaze in Furry's stove store. A gasoline lamp ran over on the floor, the fluid running through the cracks to the heater in the cellar, where it ignited caused the fire. It was put out with slight damage.

5/10/1902
FIRE AT COX BROS. I.G. Cox Brother's carriage works took fire during the afternoon and bid fair to be entirely destroyed. The roof was blazing fiercely when discovered. The alarm was rung and the fire apparatus brought out, but a bucket brigade had it nearly out when they arrived. Most of the fire boys were away at work, and the regular fire horse team, Armstrong's, was away. Benjamin Johnson's express team was pressed into service and did good running when started. This is the 3 rd time this building has been on fire within a few years. It caught fire from sparks on the roof.

6/19/1902
NEW FIRE BELL TESTED. The new fire bell has been swung into place and tested. But, it does not seem to give satisfaction, as it cannot be heard on the opposite side of the town.

6/27/1902
BLACKSMITH AND WHEELWRIGHT SHOP BURN. About 10 o'clock at night, Wright's blacksmith shop and Hannold's wheelwright shop, which are under one roof, was found to be on fire, burning fiercely in the engine room. The alarm was given, the new fire bell rung, and the fire department was on hand in a few minutes. But, the shops were past saving, as the building was all ablaze when they arrived, so attention was turned to the nearby dwelling houses. Hannold's and I. Vanneman's houses were on fire at one time, and the firemen worked like beavers keeping a stream of water first on one, than the other. The Gibbstown Fire Department came up, running all the way, three miles, pulling their truck. The wind was light at the time which made it possible to save the houses. Had there been a high wind, the south part of town would have been wiped out. Mr. Wright had about $800 of insurance on the building, but his stock and valuable machinery is almost a total loss.

8/26/1902
TENANT HOUSE BURNS TO GROUND. The fire bell was tested again when it was rung about 11 o'clock at night. Mr. George Smith's tenant house was found to be on fire, and burned to the ground. The house is about a mile south of the town and is rented to Philadelphia parties as a clubhouse. The people were down yesterday and went home on the evening train, and no one was in the house when the fire started. The house was entirely destroyed and is insured.

11/18/1902
HOUSE IN BILLINGSPORT DESTROYED BY FIRE. A dwelling house belonging to William Byers, at Billingsport, was entirely destroyed by fire at midnight. The fire bell was rung and the firemen turned out, but the house was beyond saving. Mr. Byers was away visiting in Philadelphia over night and no one knows how the fire started.

1/09/1903
BOATHOUSE ON CREEK BURNS. Mr. U. G. Wright's small boat building establishment and dwelling house combined, on the creek here, was entirely destroyed by fire at 1 o'clock in the morning. The fire was under way and burning fiercely when Mr. Wright heard the crackling. He got out of bed, wrapped his two children in blankets and ran out with his wife just in time to save their lives, leaving their clothing and everything they owned. The building was a new one and fitted with all the machinery to build small boats. He had an insurance of $800 on building and $200 on stock, which did not cover the loss by $1500. The people of the town took the family in charge and helped them very substantially, at once raising $150.

3/27/1903
HOUSE BURNS TO GROUND. A new tenant house owned by George Smith was burned to the ground.

4/13/1903
GAS STOVE CAUSES FIRE. A fire broke out in Mrs. Eliza English's house on Buck Street and about $200 worth of damage was done. A leaky gasoline stove caused the fire. The fire department was called out and good service was done.

4/17/1903
KICHEN STOVE CAUSES FIRE. The fire department was called out to put out a fire in Harry Frank's kitchen, caused by a leaky gasoline stove in use. The entire woodwork of the kitchen was on fire before help came, but it was controlled by the use of buckets in the hands of neighbors before the fire apparatus arrived. The house and furniture was damaged to the amount of $100.
There was a slight fire in the cabin of a boat here on Monday night, causing an alarm of fire to be sent in. The bell rang and about 200 men and boys were on hand, but the fire was put out before the engines got there. The damage was slight.

8/25/1903
LEAKY NEW STOVE CAUSES FIRE. While Mrs. Waisbain was ironing in the rear of her house on Broad Street, her new gasoline stove began to leak, and flared up, setting fire to her hair. Screaming, she ran out to the street and soon a crowd of neighbors gathered, but the flames soon reached to the second floor, occupied by a Chinese laundry man. He gathered what he could and made his escape. Mr.'s Reed, Cowgill, Rambo, Thomson, and several others soon had the flames subdued. A short delay would have meant a serious conflagration. The fire bell was rung and the hose carriage got to the corner of Broad and Delaware Streets, but was not used. There was no insurance on the building.

12/17/1903
HOSE PURCHASED. The Paulsboro Fire Co. purchased 500 feet of hose and housed it in Cox's warehouse.

1/04/1904
CHICKEN HOUSE CATCHES FIRE. The wood and chicken houses of William Fletcher, on Mantua Avenue, caught fire this morning about 10:30 and were nearly burned to the ground. But for the timely arrival of the fire department the barn and probably the house would have been destroyed. Motorman Styles, stopping to let Thomas Dilkes and some others off, who went to work getting out the chickens and a cow, noticed the fire. The chickens would run back into the fire as fast as they were taken out. The smoke nearly blinded the men, but they kept at it and nearly all the fowls were saved. By this time the firemen, who had been notified by trolley, arrived and did excellent work despite the cold. The fire was soon under control. The loss is estimated at $200. Mr. Fletcher would like to thank the fire department for their prompt work, and all others that aided in saving his property. The family did not know the buildings were on fire until the people from the trolley notified them. A bucket of ashes that was taken from a stove yesterday and emptied this morning is supposed to have caused the fire.

1/121904
SMALL FIRE AT PHOSPHATE WORKS. A slight fire broke out at the I. P. Thomas phosphate works, but was extinguished by the Fire Company before much damage was done.

3/26/1904
SMITH'S HOUSE BURNS TO GROUND. George Smiths house, on his farm near here, burned to the ground. It caught fire where the chimney passed through the roof. It was a new two-story frame dwelling, built a year ago. This house was burned on the same site a little over a year ago. There was no insurance on the building.

4/28/1904
BEDROOM CATCHES FIRE. There was a slight fire in one of Dr. Law's tenant houses on Buck Street. A family from Hungary occupied it. The fire started in a bedroom, supposedly from a pipe. The residents put the blaze out before the Fire Company got in working order. The bed clothing was about all that was burned.

7/18/1904
FIRE AT POWDER WORKS. A fire at the Powder Works destroyed a sulfur house at that place 2 o'clock this morning. The whistles were blown calling out the Fire Company, but they could not save the building, but kept the fire from spreading to other buildings. Property loss was about $500.

10/04/1904
LINCOLN PARK FERRY ON FIRE. The fire and church bells awakened our town at 3 o'clock, when it was found that the Lincoln Park ferry was on fire. The people responded to the alarm but it gained such headway before they got there that there was no saving it. The fire started in the ferryboat, lying in the slip, and jumped to the ferry house. Then to the other ferryboat lying along side and then to a gasoline boat tied to the wharf. The large hotel on the hill caught fire twice but was put out by willing hands. The loss is total, as both boats, the ferry house approaches and the entire property was destroyed. The fireboat “ Ashbridge “came down from Philadelphia and put out the remaining embers, but could not save anything. The heat was so intense that the water along the shore was boiling during the progress of the fire. The big blaze could be seen for miles about the county. The loss is about $60,000. The fire apparatus of this town needs looking after. When the firemen turned out to go to the fire on Tuesday, they found the pumps out of order and useless. Why not have this valuable property put in order in case of an emergency.

10/08/1904
NEW FIRE COMPANY IS FORMED. A group of men got together and decided to form the Billingsport Volunteer Fire Company.

11/01/1904
FIRE CO. REORGANIZES. A meeting was held in the Council Room to re-organize the Fire Company. Some wished the apparatus turned over to the Borough, while others said no. A committee was appointed to have the hose and pump put into proper order and confer with Council about looking toward turning the management over to the Borough.

1/26/1905
KITCHEN RANGE FIRE. Pasquale Benevento had a slight fire in the morning caused by the waterback in the kitchen range. The water supply was frozen and with all the spigots being closed, the thing burst and wrecked the range, and scattered fire all over the room. It was put out before the firemen got there.

2/02/1905
FIRE CO. RECEIVES EQUIPMENT. In the appropriations of funds, the Borough Council has awarded the Billingsport Fire Co. $25, and the Paulsboro Fire Co. $75. The local company has been furnished with 600 feet of hose, a new reel and a new hook and ladder.

2/11/1905
STOVE AND PLUMBING SHOP ON FIRE. Seth Roberts stove store and plumber shop caught fire around 11 p.m. It started in the workshop from the stove and the interior was all on fire when seen. The fire bell was rung and the reel of hose was hurried there in time to save the house, which was about 20 feet away. The water pressure was all that could be wished and surely saved the dwelling, as well as the other houses that were very near. The shop and store were ruined, but not all burned, as the water put it out in 20 minutes after the stream was turned on. The loss was estimated at around $1000.

2/24/1905
LOCOMOTIVE WHEELS TO BE USED AS FIRE ALARMS. On order of the borough council, ten locomotive tires have been secured and work will soon commence in their erection, in different parts of the town, to be used as fire alarms. When these are in position, it is proposed to ring them all at once as a test in spreading an alarm of fire. Also, a thousand feet of hose and two hose carriages have been ordered.

3/23/1905
THOMSON GIVES FIRE CO. LOT. W.S. Thomson has given a building lot, with a 50-foot front, on Swedesboro Avenue to the Paulsboro Fire Co., on which they will build a firehouse with a room above. There will be a tower and a bell on the same.

4/01/1905
NEW BUILDING FOR BILLINGSPORT. The Billingsport Fire Company began construction on their new firehouse. The lot on which it will stand cost $300. A railroad tire was purchased to be used as an alarm. It was mounted on the new lot be fore construction began. To sound the alarm, a resident will come to the lot and strike the tire with a hammer. A demonstration was held for Mayor & Council on the advantages of using chemicals for extinguishment of fires. Also a new hose reel was purchased for $30.

5/23/1905
CHEMICAL WORKS BURNS. The new chemical works on the creek, the Non Freezing Powder Works, just below town, burned to the ground. It is said they were mixing powder and it ignited. There was no explosion as all the powder that was prepared for market was gotten out before the fire reached it. The fire bells were rung and both fire companies' responded, but there being no plugs near they were useless to do anything. The loss is estimated at $5000 with no insurance. The company will rebuild at once.

6/06/1905
HOME ON CHESTNUT STREET SAVED FROM FIRE. A gasoline stove blazed up at the home of Bruno Flack, on Chestnut Street last evening, about 7 o'clock. Thanks to the timely arrival of the fire companies, who soon had the fire under control, the blaze would have proved to be quite damaging. The loss is only $25.

7/26/1905
BARBERSHOP BURNS. Fire destroyed the Jew's barbershop on Broad Street last night.

10/27/1905
NEWSPAPER BUILDING DESTOYED BY FIRE. At around 1:30 in the morning, the office of The Paulsboro Sun was destroyed by fire. The plant was located in a one and a half story frame building on Chestnut St., between Buck and Washington streets. The building was owned by William Casperson and previously was occupied as a shirt factory. The blaze was a stubborn one, and at that hour of the night, had gained such headway that little could be done. The blaze started along the northwest side of the building, and opinion is strong that it was of incendiary origin. The building is practically ruined, much of the type and cases were removed, but the presses and paper stock was badly damaged by fire and water. Proprietor Gwilliam had been making a supreme effort to establish his business and the loss is a serious blow to him.

11/27/1905
FIRE CO. SAVES HOUSE. The town was startled Saturday night when an alarm of fire was sent in. The fire was at the residence of John Hoffman in Billingsport. If it had not been for the arrival of the local fire companies, the fire would have been a serious one.

108/1906
BILLINGSPORT HOLDS MEETING. The Billingsport Fire Company held its first meeting in their new firehouse.

4/08/1906
FARMER LOSES CRIB HOUSE TO FIRE. John Maurer, a farmer who owns the Hurley farm on Swedesboro road, lost his crib house, wagon shed and corn crib, during the evening hours, to fire. All the contents, wheat, corn, implements, including the harvester, were lost. The loss is nearly $1000. The origin of the fire is a mystery.

4/12/1906
CHILD SETS FIRE TO HOME. George Bates's 3 year old set fire to a couch in his father's home, then called to his mother upstairs that there was a fire. Mrs. Bates put the fire out with much difficulty. The couch and room were badly damaged. The Fire Co. was called but the fire was out before they arrived.

6/30/1906
BRUSH FIRE CAUSES STIR. Milford Titus caused quite an excitement here by burning a large pile of brush in the street at his house on Washington Street. People thought the house was on fire and gave the fire alarm. The firemen got the hose carriage out only to find out it was just trash.

10/13/1906
FIRE IN HORSE STABLE. When Albert Ladner got home from work he smelled smoke. Going to his barn he found the bedding ablaze in one of the horse stables. The partition was scorched, as was the hair on one side of a horse. Mr. Ladner carried the blazing litter outdoors and put the blaze out with water from the watering trough. He thinks it was deliberately set on fire.

4/22/1907
OIL HEATER CAUSES BEDROOM FIRE. Bella Adamson, an invalid, awoke to find her bedroom ablaze from an oil heater and called for help. She was nearly suffocated by the smoke. Neighbors extinguished the fire before the fire companies arrived. Dr. Laws was summoned to treat Miss Adamson, who is the sister of Mayor Adamson.

5/07/1907
HOUSE ALMOST BURNS DOWN, FIREMEN INJURED. The house of John Fry was partly ruined by fire. While Samuel Deal was taking his after supper smoke in his back yard, around 7:45 PM, he discovered smoke issuing from the second story of the side of the house occupied by John Fry, on Billings Avenue. Mr. Deal sent a boy to the livery stable to notify someone to ring the fire bell. It was not long before both Paulsboro and Billingsport fire companies were on the scene. Considerable difficulty was had in subduing the flames, however, and was not accomplished until the firemen had worked for over two hours. Three firemen, G. Aspenwalt, C. Stanley, and T. Heppard were cut by falling glass. Four stitches were necessary to close the wound in Heppard's arm. Stanley had two arteries cut in his wrist and Aspenwalt had his hand badly cut. The house was almost a total wreck on the inside, and only about half the furniture was saved. W. Adamson owns the house. The family had gone over to Mrs. Moore's, a daughter of Mr. Fry's, to spend the evening and had banked the fire in the stove downstairs before leaving.

5/16/1907
FIRE CO. SAVES HOME. The house occupied by William McGill, and owned by William Hannold, was discovered to be on fire around 7 o'clock in the morning by Harry Fisler, who gave the alarm. About 5 minutes later both fire companies were on the scene, and after some difficulty, had the blaze under control. All of McGill's furniture was gotten out of the house before much damage was done to it. The damage will amount to about $200. The origin of fire is unknown.

9/13/1907
FIRE AT I. P. THOMAS. The night watchman at the I. P. Thomas Phosphate Works discovered fire under the floor of the bag room around 9:00 p.m. An alarm was sent in and both fire companies responded promptly, and in fifteen minutes the fire was subdued. The damage was slight. Chains were broken on the fire bell while it was being rung.

10/26/1907
MEETING HELD TO BUILD FIREHOUSE. There was a meeting held in the council chambers for the purpose of building a firehouse. All citizens were invited to come. One man has offered to contribute 1,000 cement blocks for it.

11/02/1907
TO BUILD FIREHOUSE AND LOCKUP. The Paulsboro Fire Co. reorganized. A decision was ordered by W.S. Thomson to build a combined firehouse and lockup.

11/13/1907
NEW FIREHOUSE BEING BUILT. Work began on the building of the new firehouse for the Paulsboro Fire Co. The building will be 30x50 and be built of cement blocks. A ten-foot extension for a lockup will be built in the rear.

12/04/1907
HORSE FALLS AND IS DESTROYED. The Paulsboro Fire Co.'s new horse fell down an embankment and was so badly hurt that it had to be killed to put it out of its misery. They only had it about ten hours.

12/26/1907
ROBINSON HOUSE BURNS NEAR RIVER . The old Robinson house, near the Lincoln Park ferry, was discovered on fire by Ray Springer about 1:00 A.M. Springer gave the alarm and both fire companies responded. The firemen could do nothing to save the building as no fireplugs are in that vicinity and pumps could not be obtained to pump water from the river. However the firemen did work hard at preventing the blaze from spreading to the Gwilliam homestead and other buildings. It is believed the fire was the work of an incendiary as the house has been unoccupied for some time. A Philadelphia party named Whitall owns the property.
B. G. Paul; Fire Chief, W. H. Lamson; Assistant Chiefs, Dr. M. Doolittle and Gill Hannold; Trustees, Hannold and Charles Salisbury.