News Flash

Fire Chief Ryan Gray arrived within three minutes of being dispatched to find a single-family residence with smoke showing from all sides of the structure. Fire crews arrived shortly thereafter, and after securing a water supply through a fire hydrant a block away, crews made entry into the residence to extinguish the fire. 

Crews were met with heavy smoke conditions and moderate heat but were able to limit the fire’s spread to the room of origin, the chief stated. Initially, crews were challenged by the placement of a sofa that was placed close to the hallway entry leading to the bedroom that was on fire.   

“People should make a conscious effort to not place furniture near entry- and exit-ways and to maintain clear paths throughout their homes, this will allow for occupants to safely get out of the building if it was on fire, and will assist firefighters as they move through the building,” Chief Gray said. “Firefighters are faced with near-zero visibility when making entry into a burning structure, and anything that we can do as homeowners and business owners to assist them during these challenging incidents helps us tremendously.”

The fire was determined to be of accidental nature due to a small child who accessed a lighter, the chief said. He added a family cat was rescued from the structure and provided supplemental oxygen, and is expected to make a full recovery.

“Thanks to the quick action by the residents, all occupants were able to escape the home and there were no injuries to civilians or fire personnel,” Chief Gray said. “You keep lighters and flammable materials away from small children, and teach fire safety to them. It is important to always have an escape plan in place before you need it.”

(ABOUT THE PHOTO: Columbus Fire Department officials on scene of a structure fire in the 2800 block of 20th Street in Columbus. Chief Ryan Gray said the fire was determined to be accidental. City of Columbus Photo)