GERBERS BARN IN AVON HIT BY FIRE

TMC NEWS PHOTOS / BRIAN WOODS
Avon – Firefighters were able to bring a fire under control Tuesday afternoon in part because of pre planning at the structure.

Chief Frank Root of the Avon Fire Department said his department received the call for a possible structure fire at the old Gerber’s Garden Center at 4:42 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. “One good thing with this fire is that we have actually preplanned for a fire here due to the buildings being vacant, it’s an old style barn and because it’s combustible.”

Root said that when the first crews arrived they had smoke coming from the structure. “Shortly thereafter fire started coming through the roof. The guys stretched a couple lines and we were able to make pretty good headway in attacking the fire and getting it knocked down.”

Firefighters were able to find an area in the barn loft where kids had created their own little hang out. Fire Inspectors are investigating that angle as a cause of the blaze according to Chief Root.

Root praised the efforts of the Firefighters saying that when it comes to old barn fires they are tough to fight and save but they were able to get ahead of this one and extinguish the fire. “The dollar damage is very minimal but more importantly they saved the structure and nobody was injured.”

Two juveniles that were spotted running from the scene were apprehended and were being questioned by Authorities according to Root.

Sheffield Village Firefighters provided mutual aid assistance to Avon.


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