The fire at 235 Pierce St. on Mother's Day 2013 was on the minds of those who attended the second annual Public Safety Night Out on Monday in Pottsville.
"We (the city) had a really hard year last year," Linda Harley, 43, of Pottsville, said as she watched her son, Julian, 7, and daughter, Kateri, 3, play near a 1928 Ahrens Fox Piston Pump fire truck.
The fire claimed the lives of four children and two adults - Eric Brown, 31; Joy Brown, 8; Jeremiah Brown; 7, Emily Brown, 3; Elijah Brown, 2, and Kristina Thomas, 23. Kelly Brown, mother of the four children, wife of Eric and sister of Thomas, was not at home at the time of the fire. The home did not have smoke detectors.
Harley said the house fire deeply affected the residents of the city.
She said events like the one held Monday at the lower level of Pottsville Area School District's Martz Hall is important for children and adults to recognize the importance of fire safety.
"When I was younger, I almost lost my best friend in a house fire," she said.
The event was held for the first time last year after the fire on Pierce Street. Its mission is to highlight the importance of fire safety and let people see the first responders.
The event had representatives from the seven fire departments in Pottsville, Schuylkill Hose in Schuylkill Haven and Minersville Fire and Rescue. Other groups represented included the Pottsville/Schuylkill Haven/Orwigsburg Area EMS, the Pottsville Police Department and the county sheriff's department.
One of the event's activities was a fire safety house from the Hazelton Fire Department. The house is a tool to teach children about the importance of fire safety and how to escape from a burning home.
Ryan Smith, 4, of Schuylkill Haven, was helped down a ladder from the fire safety house.
"There was smoke. The door was hot. We had to crawl out down the ladder," he said.
Safety information and smoke detectors were distributed at the event.
Pottsville police Patrolman Joseph Murton Jr. was handing out information, such as bicycle safety.
"Don't be afraid of us, buddy. We're your friend," Murton said to Cayden Wolff, 5, of Pottsville. The boy's mother, Jackie Wolff, 25, of Pottsville, said her son is not afraid of the police but does not like the noise from police sirens.
Mark Atkinson, public safety director for the city and council member, said he still thinks about the loss of life from the Pierce Street house fire.
"It's always in the back of our minds," he said.
The smoke detectors distributed at the event can help save lives, Atkinson said.
As of 8 p.m. Monday, 24 smoke detectors were given away at the event. There were 60 available.
Pottsville fire Chief Todd March said city residents who need one can call City Hall at 570-622-1234.
Jocelyn Wilson, 31, of Pottsville, attended the event with her children, Kylie Morris, 8, and Chase Morris, 4, both of Pottsville, who were having their fingerprints taken. It was their first time attending Night Out.
"I think this is great. It's a success," she said.
Wilson said she thinks of the Pierce Street fire because Kylie rode the bus with Joy Brown. When the fire occurred, she said she explained the importance of smoke detectors to her children. "The smoke detectors are the cheapest life insurance you can buy," Atkinson said.