ABANDONED HOUSE FIRE IN LORAIN

OFF-DUTY FIREFIGHTER DISCOVERS BLAZE

Photo courtesy: Robert Haas

Lorain – A potential disaster was diverted Saturday night after off-duty veteran Lorain Firefighter Robert Haas spotted a fire in a home located behind the Dovin Funeral Home on Elyria Ave.

Haas was driving along East 28th Street heading toward Elyria Ave when he said he smelled smoke. With his years of battling house fires he knew it was not your typical back yard barbeque causing the smell. Haas began searching for the cause and discovered the home on East 27th Street behind Dovin Funeral Home.

Haas saw fire in windows on the ground floor and the second floor of the home. After parking his truck and notifying 9-1-1 he approached the house to see if anyone might be inside. With the darkness of the street and the smoke Haas could not tell right away if the home was occupied or abandoned so he went to the front door, which he found to be open. Haas entered the home and saw a mattress on the living room floor on fire. He yelled for anyone that might be inside but received no response. Realizing that it was an abandoned home and that the fire and smoke was becoming too much he backed out and waited for his fellow Firefighters to arrive.

Once Lorain Firefighters arrived they attacked the fires both on the ground floor and second floor. The fires were knocked down in a short amount of time then Firefighters checked the rest of the home for possible extensions but all was clear.

Neighbors said they were glad that Haas spotted the fire before it got out of control and possibly spread to any neighboring homes.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze is underway by the Lorain Fire Department.


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