The cause of the blaze at 170 Kennedy St. early Thursday morning
was still undetermined Friday, state police fire marshal Trooper
Greg Agosti said.

Several local individuals, families and organizations are
eagerly coming to the aid of the families who lost everything in
the four-house fire, however.

Agosti said that while there have been some “developments” in
the case, the investigation is ongoing, adding he could not comment
further.

He did say, however, there have been no arrests made or suspects
questioned relative to the fire, which Bradford City Fire
Department Fire Chief Bill McCormack intimated was most likely
arson.

“Right now the cause of the fire is officially undetermined,”
Agosti said, “but we are continuing the investigation and want to
bring justice to the people of Kennedy Street.”

“This is a very delicate investigation,” Agosti said.

As the fire marshal, fire department and police conduct the
investigation into how the disaster happened, the families
displaced by the fire try to piece their lives back together.

One family who lost everything – George Day, 70, and his son,
Jeff Day, 24, who lived at 174 Kennedy St. – made it out of the
fire with only what they were wearing at the time, according to Art
Steinhauer, chairman of the ELF (Era’s Less Fortunate) Fund.

Steinhauer told The Era he had been in contact with the Days
through George Day’s son-in-law, Mike Gilbert, with whom the Days
were staying. The family was looking for help to provide food,
clothes and most importantly, medication for George Day, who
recently had triple bypass surgery and had a double pacemaker.

Steinhauer said he talked to the Days Thursday night at about 8
p.m., and within an hour or so, the ELF Fund had provided emergency
assistance enabling the Days to replace George Day’s medication and
purchase some food and clothes.

“When we took it, they were in tears,” Steinhauer said,
commenting on the raw emotion that illustrated the Days’ gratitude.
He said George Day was wearing one brown sandal and one white
sneaker.

“I’m glad I got out with a left and right, even if they don’t
match,” Steinhauer said Day told him. Jeff Day had no shoes and was
in his socks, he added.

When the Days received assistance around 9 p.m., Steinhauer
said, he could tell the “doom and gloom was already lifting.”

“They knew they were going to be OK and that their community was
there to help them,” Steinhauer said.

The ELF Fund is not currently assisting the other families
displaced by the fire, he said, as they have not received requests
from the others. Steinhauer went on to say the organization was in
the process of establishing a bank account for the family at
Northwest Savings Bank. Information on how to donate to the cause
should be available early next week, he said.

Fire broke out at 170 Kennedy St. at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday,
reports indicate, and spread rapidly to 166, 174 and 176 Kennedy
St. The house at 170 Kennedy St. was vacant at the time of the
fire, McCormack said Thursday, adding the gas and/or electricity
service had not been connected at that address for several
months.

All four houses were total losses, and any standing structures
were demolished Thursday. Eleven people – seven adults and four
children – were left homeless by the blaze.