MANSFIELD, Ohio — A duplex fire that occurred Friday at approximately 1 p.m. on the 1000 block of Larchwood Road in Mansfield was quickly contained by the Mansfield Fire Department.
Mark Sieving, assistant chief with the Mansfield Fire Department, explained, “We received a fire call at 1010 Larchwood…The first arriving units reported heavy smoke coming from the attic area of the structure.”
He said the fire spread to the other unit of the duplex (1012 Larchwood). “The structure is a duplex, so the fire did involve the attic that covers both of them–it’s a common attic.”
“Crews made entry into 1010, were able to extinguish the fire and then chase the extension on up into the attic and we’ve gone ahead and made access to the attic on both sides,” he said. “We currently have the fire extinguished and we’re waiting for the investigator to get here to tell us the cause of the fire.”
The fire was contained within about 10-15 minutes, he said.
He said the living quarters suffered smoke damage and some water damage. “We didn’t use a whole lot of water, but as you know the water finds a way down, so we do have some of their personal [belongings] protected with some tarps. We’re doing the best we can to salvage their belongings,” he said.
He described the damage as “moderate” and noted, “My crew seems to think that the 1010 side is the worst of the two.”
The residents from both 1010 and 1012 Larchwood were not home at the time of the incident.
He said the residents most likely wouldn’t be able move back into their homes today. “The main reason is we’ve shut all of the utilities off in the building,”he explained.
The fire was discovered by a U.S. postal carrier. The postal worker pulled a dog from the burning building, which Sieving believes to be deceased.
Sieving added that he saw two dogs running up the street as he arrived at the scene. However, he said, “I don’t know if they’re from this or not. There’s nobody here to ask.”
