FIRE HOUSE DEMOLISHED

Elyria – The duplex that was hit by fire early Monday morning is no longer standing this afternoon. The city had a wrecking ball bring it down due to safety concerns. (Not sure that it was actually a wrecking ball – but it’s down)

Neighbors spotted the fire around 4:30 a.m. saying they saw fire coming from the trees and the roof of the home. Smoke filled the area as far away as East River and Pinewood where witnesses saw the smoke but wasn’t sure where it was coming from.

As Firefighters arrived they found heavy fire and smoke coming from the north side of the side-by-side duplex at 1254 East Ave. The fire caused another danger to the area as burnt electrical lines began snapping and falling to the ground.

A nursing home across the street was concerned about the fire and the smoke it was causing – but after Firefighters knocked down the bulk of the fire pretty quick they chose not to evacuate any residents.

The homeowner, Eddie Sabbah, was at another home in Elyria house-sitting for the night. Sabbah received a call telling him about the blaze around 5 a.m. When he arrived back home the fire, for the most part, was already out.

Sabbah told Firefighters that his home had been broken into recently and he was in the process of having an alarm system installed.

Firefighters, concerned with Sabbah after he complained of chest pains, called for LifeCare Paramedics to check him out. Sabbah said that he was just upset about his house and refused any treatment or transport to the hospital.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Anyone with any information about the blaze is asked to contact the Elyria Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau at 440.323.1027.


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