One of the largest local fires in recent memory gutted the half-block long former Ben Franklin 5 & 10 on December 11, 1996, but what should perhaps be rememberes is the loss of life and property averted by the work of local firefighters.  "If we wouldn't have stopped the fire where it was, we could have had a second part of the block involved," said Lilly Fire Chief Bill Claar, who explained that the blaze at the corner of Main and Cleveland streets could easily have spread down Cleveland to the town's Veterans of Foreighn Wars, a karate studio and the municipal building, which was damaged by an accidental fire on Sept. 15.  Some 50 firefighters from Lilly, Cresson, Gallitzin, Portage, Ebensburg and Revloc departments brought the conflagration under control within about 2 1/2 hours.  The Lilly Fire hall sustained about 25,000.00 damage after the fire spread to part of it southside wall.  The wall was warped and partialley burned and the hall's roof, some windows, wiring, and appliances in the kitchen were also damaged.