Things are finally looking up for the Village of Boonville after a severe fire which was immediately followed by the pandemic.

On Jan. 7, 2020, a fire on the 100 block of Main St. destroyed five buildings which housed businesses and apartments.

Just two months later, the pandemic would hit the country and make it difficult for the village to recover immediately.

“It was unbelievable. Unbelievably sad,” said Judith Dellerba, Boonville Village Mayor.

She said she remembers the fire like it was yesterday.

“We came out of the pub and the sky was just full of smoke,” she said.

On the day of the fire the Boonville native and village mayor said she just finished a meeting and was inside the Pub just before 10 p.m. That’s when she said a friend of hers rushed in and said the buildings across the street were on fire.

“We ran out as the fire whistle was beginning to sound, ran up and down the street yelling at the tenants, trying to tell them to get out of the buildings,” said DelleAa.

All 15 tenants living in the buildings got out safely. The fire would appear to stop, but within a few hours it would rekindle and burn overnight. It destroyed six business spaces which included a variety store, hair salon, and the popular Slim’s Restaurant.

Phyllis White, NYS Woodsmen's Field Days Executive Coordinator, said she remembers watching from her office across the street that evening.

“Smoke was billowing, the back of the buildings toward the parking lot were fully engulfed with flames, and it was a very very scary situation,” said White.

Close to 20 fire departments battled the fire and officials said the cause was never determined.

But recently the village mayor says progress has been made.

“We were really restricted but I am really proud of what’s happened since then. We have several new businesses that are great,” said Dellerba.

Some of the businesses impacted by the fire have relocated while new ones have since moved to Main Street. White said she has a new consignment shop located directly across the street from where the fire occurred.  

The Woodland Farm Brewery taproom moved into the historic Hulbert House in December.

“Besides brining beer to Boonville, it’s nice to be part of the story of the Hulbert House here in Boonville, it’s for 200 years been the center of the community. So I think for the last four, five, six years that it's been closed there’s been a hole people have been missing," said Keith Redhead, Woodland Farm Brewery Taproom Owner.

The property where the fire took place was sold and there’s new hope more businesses can take advantage of the vacant land. White said it's evident by the recent progress that this is one village that never gives up.

“This community comes together. It’s amazing to see when somebody is in need of something, or hurting, or is having a bad time, Boonville will come through for them,” said White.

And that kind of community is what the mayor says makes her proud.

"We’re resilient. We came back,” said Dellerba.