The Mansfield Fire Department responded to a call at Johnson Brothers’ Jewelry & Loan pawnbrokers, 30 S. Park St., on the square in Mansfield Monday night. Co-owner Rhonda Johnson said that she was in the business and made the call. Eighteen firefighters, who were on duty, were the initial responders with a 75 foot ladder truck and engines.
“We smelled smoke and went back to the kitchen and we saw a little bit of smoke,” stated Johnson.
Also involved was the law office of attorney John S. Dilts at 28 Park St. The building includes three floors and a walk-out basement level in the rear on Second Street. The second and third floors of the building are unoccupied.
Mansfield Fire Chief Steve Strickling said, “They knocked out the initial fire pretty quickly, but the fire was running upwards between the partitioned walls. Most of the fire was actually in the basement, but it ran up all the walls.”
Strickling noted that 20 additional firefighters reported to the scene. A 100-foot ladder truck also responded and a total of five engines. One of the ladder trucks was used at the rear of the building because Strickling said the fire escape was too old unsafe for firefighters to use.
He explained that, as in the case of older buildings, there was no fire retardant and firefighters had to go through lathe and plaster walls to extinguish the fire.
“The biggest thing is that it was unoccupied,” Strickling said, “No one lost their homes and there was no real structural damage.” The building can be renovated.
Paul Harriger, owner of Harriger Towing, 555 Dewey Ave., said he was called at approximately 7:10 p.m. He and employees Danny Rose, Randy Swope, and Eddie Rose arrived with two tow truck and moved two Ford pick-up trucks from the rear of the building.
Firefighters couldn’t get through the basement doors which were barred from the inside.
“We hooked some winches to the door and pulled them open,” stated Harriger.
The firefighters put holes in the doors and Harriger’s crew was able to wrap chains through the doors and used their trucks to pull them open. Danny Rose added, “There was fire popping out the second floor when we pulled the door open.”
Attorney Dilts declined to comment as he watched the firefighter’s progress. He expressed concern that he couldn’t see his offices.
Eric and Rhonda Johnson have been in business for 22 years and only moved to the Park Street location eight years ago. Rhonda Johnson was comforted by a friend at the scene.
