FIRE RIPS THROUGH BUILDING

DESTROYS POST OFFICE & RESTAURANT

Birmingham – Firefighters from several area communities spend the better part of the Tuesday battling a large fire 15403 State Route 113 in Birmingham. The fire completely destroyed the local Post Office, and all of the mail located inside, and the attached Boccardi’s Restaurant.

Kim Summers said she went to work Tuesday morning at Boccardi’s, just like she has done for the last 4 months. She began preparing the restaurant for the day’s business around 9:30. “I remember throwing a pizza in the oven and smelling a real strong odor of smoke. I began looking around the restaurant to see if I could find the source – then a woman came in telling me that the Post Office next door was on fire.”

Mary Lou Fraizer lives two doors down from Boccardi’s and was on her way to pick up her mail Tuesday morning. “I went into the Post Office and smoke just rolled out through the door as soon as I opened it. The first thing I did was look to see if Trudy was inside (the Post Office employee) but didn’t see her. I saw a small space heater in the front room so I unplugged that – then grabbed my mail, and got out. When I got outside I saw Trudy’s car was gone so I figured she must have left for lunch.”

Fraizer then ran into the restaurant to have them call the Fire Department but said they were already on the phone with 9-1-1 by that time.

When Firefighters from Florence Township arrived fire was coming out through the roof of the 80-year-old building. One by one Florence began requesting Mutual Aid from surrounding communities. Vermilion and Amherst Fire Department’s both sent manpower and aerial trucks to assist in battling the blaze.

Vermilion Township, Wellington Fire District, South Amherst and Oberlin Fire Departments also provided Mutual Aid. Paramedics from Citizens Ambulance provided stand by in case of any injuries. No injuries were reported.

The Birmingham Postmaster, Trudy Wright, said that she had left the building for lunch and a trip to the Library just 15 minutes before the fire was discovered. Wright said that although there was a small space heater in a back room of the Post Office, it had been unplugged before Tuesday morning.

A house located next door received heat damage, melting the siding.


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