FIRE DESTROYS 13TH STREET HOUSE

Elyria – A fire ripped through a house in the 400 block of 13th Street just after midnight Thursday morning.


Lorain County 9-1-1 Dispatchers began receiving calls of a possible structure fire in the area of 13th and West Ave just after midnight. Then an Elyria Police Officer on patrol saw the smoke covering West Ave and found the house on fire on 13th Street just west of West Ave. Other Officers responded to the area and began alerting neighbors of the blaze.

When Firefighters arrived heavy fire was pouring from the east side of the structure. Within minutes the fire was coming from each side of the house shooting high into the air.


Assistant Chief Ron Brlas of the Elyria Fire Department ordered a defensive attack on the uninhabited structure almost immediately upon arrival. “The fire house and the house directly next door, were both under construction. The fire house was pretty much gutted inside with no drywall and no furniture so once we started hitting it with water the bulk of the fire was knocked down.”


Fire Investigators on scene say they believe the fire started in the rear of the home but were waiting until they had a chance to get inside to investigate further.


The house suffered so much damage that Fire Officials say they will have what is remaining of the structure razed sometime Thursday for safety reasons.


There were no injuries reported.


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