Holiday Season House Fire

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The Zanesville Fire Department rushed to a house fire during the early morning hours.

Firefighters responded to a residence located at 233 Sullivan Street around 5 a.m. Chief Jeff Bell shared some of the details surrounding the incident.

“We had our Engine 2, our Eppley Station got there first,” Bell said. “En-route, you know, they said smoke showing. Got there and it was fully involved. We were burning through the roof and that on it. In which case our incident commander called us into a defensive fire on that. We just tried to get hooked up to a hydrant and get our equipment in place to… you know, control the blaze, to make sure everybody was out.”

Bell noted they had to overcome several challenges due to the location, such as detouring around street closures, finding the closest hydrant and maneuvering their equipment through the narrow alleys.

“In the initial investigation, we’re finding an accidental fire and it was caused by a space heater,” Bell said. “Which we see with alternate heating sources this time of year. And we try to, you know, educate people. Say you know, be careful. If you’re using alternate heating sources, make sure you are using them properly and you know how the manufacturer intends them to be used. Make sure you are keeping a 36 inches on all sides around it away from any flammable materials and make sure they are UL approved.”

No injuries or fatalities were reported even though a couple of oxygen bottles exploded from the heat and the Red Cross is already assisting the victims.