The sound of something hitting his window woke 16-year-old Chaise Nelson Thursday morning shortly after 9 a.m. A neighbor had already called 911 and Springfield and Madison Fire Departments were on the way to the home at 1045 Elizabeth Ave., Ontario, arriving at the scene at 9:39 a.m. Also responding to the fire were Mansfield Fire Department, Troy Township and Crestline fire departments.
Nelson, who boxed in Kiev, Ukraine last August in the Amateur World Boxing Championship, woke to the sound on the window. Nelson is homeschooled and he credits that with helping save his sister. She was asleep as well and Nelson woke her up when he realized the house was on fire.
“I was sleeping and I was hearing stuff coming down on my window and I tried to come upstairs and the deck was on fire,” said Nelson. “We couldn’t go upstairs. I tried to sprint upstairs as fast as I could but there was all this back smoke and I couldn’t breathe.”
So Nelson, despite a hairline spinal fracture that made him refrain from fighting for three months, and his sister, Sarah Fagan, climbed out his bedroom window to safety. Their dog also escaped through the window but was not able to be located immediately after the fire. Fagan’s iguana apparently died in the fire.
In a social media message, Nelson’s mother Kiesha Boone said, “I’m so distraught that he could’ve lost his life along with Sarah. I just thank God that the smoke woke him up. I just got the brace on Monday [for his back] and it’s in the house. Poor thing, he said, ‘All I could think about was my boxing stuff being in there.’”
Rochelle Nelson and Mike Nelson rent the home and Rochelle Nelson said she left the house at 9:15 a.m. to go to a doctor’s appointment, but returned home when she received a call about the fire. Three younger children were at school, and Mike Nelson was at work.
The house, built in 1963, is owned by Jeff and Karen Virden. Jeff Virden said they’ve owned the house less than 10 years.
Springfield Township Fire Department’s Ron Henry said the southern side of the house was destroyed, resulting in approximately a 70 percent loss. The southern side of the house include a walk-out basement that held the two occupied bedrooms and on the floor above was a living room and another bedroom. Henry said he thought the family would be able to salvage many of their possessions. They did not have renter’s insurance. Firefighters were able to save at least some of Nelson’s championship boxing belts.
By 10:35 a.m. the departments were monitoring the house. Henry explained that they would not immediately look for hot spots by cutting into areas for the house in order to preserve any evidence. The State Fire Marshall’s office was advised and an investigation will follow.
