A fire yesterday destroyed two buildings and damaged another in downtown Brookfield. The Brookfield Fire Department responded to the 300 block of North Main Street shortly before 7:30 a.m. The fire apparently started in one of several apartments on the upper level of the building that at one time housed the JC Penny’s store in downtown Brookfield at 305 North Main. Later much of that space on the lower level housed Video Castle and for many years has been referred to as the North Main Mini Mall where a number of Brookfield businesses at one time called home. Approximately 12 families were living in the upper apartments and all were able to escape the blasé unharmed. The retail space below the apartments was vacant and had been for a short time. One of the tenants who lived in the apartment where the fire started told the Brookfield Fire Chief Larry Flynn that she had been using a space heater and saw the heater on fire before fleeing the building. The building to the south was at one time a bank when first built and has also been home to a number of businesses over the years. Most recently, that building has been operating as soup kitchen and thrift store. Unfortunately, the flames from the old Penny’s building eventually spread to the building on the south, and it too was totally destroyed. To the north of the building where the fire broke out was a third building where Linn County court proceedings were conducted for many years on the upper level and downstairs was retail space. The retail space in that building housed two businesses; “Courthouse Antiques” and “Hair Express”. Firemen were successful at saving that building from the raging inferno. That building did receive some smoke damage, but reports are water damage was minimal. Firefighters and additional equipment was summoned through mutual aid from the Marceline and Chillicothe Fire Departments. The flames at times shot high above the buildings and smoke was seen from miles away. Three investigators from the State Fire Marshalls office were in town later in the afternoon on Wednesday. Firemen continued to pour water on the rubble of the burned out buildings and handle hot spots. Due to instability of some of the remaining walls after the roof collapsed, a large track hoe arrived Wednesday evening and started to slowly knock the exterior walls down. Local residents and many others quickly came together offering to assist in any way possible, providing food and drinks for firemen and others assisting with fighting the blaze as well as providing assistance to displaced residents of the apartments. The Red Cross was notified and quickly arrived on seen to provide assistance. Churches and others have been working to prepare for other needs of those who lost everything in the fire such as clothing, household, housing and financial assistance. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, however, the fire chief said in an interview with KTVO television that one fire fighter from Marceline did receive minor injuries when hot tar dripped on him, but he did not require medical treatment.