On Monday evening, a multi‑alarm fire erupted at PA Imports Auto Sales, a used‑car dealership on the 1000 block of DeKalb Street in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania. The blaze quickly spread to a boat and a car stored on the lot, prompting a massive response from dozens of fire crews and a helicopter circling the scene.
Owner’s focus on neighbors
Shaf Rahman, the dealership’s owner, was in his office completing paperwork when the fire started. “Next thing you know, I check the camera and see smoke,” Rahman told Action News. “I got out of the office and saw people in the street shouting, ‘Get out! Get out, there’s a fire!’”
Rahman said his primary concern was the safety of the families living above the shop, not the loss of his business. “I was numb, and my primary concern was our neighbors who live upstairs. I wasn’t worried about the business. Things like this come and go. The main thing is that everyone is safe,” he explained.
Injured resident receives community support
One of the upstairs tenants, 62‑year‑old Marlene Hagaman, and her husband Mark escaped the flames but suffered serious injuries. Hagaman, who works at the nearby Bridgeport Ribhouse, sustained third‑degree burns on the bottoms of her feet and is currently being treated at the Temple University Hospital burn unit.
Melissa Navitsky, owner of Bridgeport Ribhouse, described the moment she saw the fire and rushed to the sidewalk to find the couple. “She has third‑degree burns to the bottom of her feet. She’s in the Temple burn unit right now,” Navitsky said.
Local businesses mobilize to help
Navitsky has organized a benefit dinner for the Hagamans and created an Amazon wish list that is already circulating throughout the community. “Things are being marked off the wish list left and right. People are calling, asking what they can do,” she said. “As soon as she’s out of the hospital, we’ll have a benefit to help them start a new journey.”
Steve Wilson, owner of Wilson’s Secret Sauce in Upper Darby, was dining at Bridgeport Ribhouse when the fire broke out. He has launched a neighborhood drive to collect money, clothing and other essentials for those affected. “People can donate money if they have it, or clothes—just things that will take some of that burden off of them. That’s what we want to do. We want to help other people,” Wilson said.
How to contribute
Anyone wishing to assist can contact Navitsky at Bridgeport Ribhouse or Wilson at Wilson’s Secret Sauce. Both businesses have provided phone numbers and email addresses for donations and volunteer offers.
Investigation continues
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by local authorities. Officials have not released any details about the origin of the blaze, but they praised the rapid response of fire crews and the community’s swift charitable effort.
Bridgeport residents have shown that, even in the face of tragedy, the town’s strong sense of family, faith and neighborly duty endures. The benefit dinner and ongoing donation drive are expected to continue until the Hagamans are fully recovered and able to rebuild their lives.
Original reporting: Allentown News – 6abc Philadelphia — read the source article.
