OH Firefighters Escape After Getting Trapped on Second Floor of Burning Building

Conneaut Ohio fire truck

Warren Dillaway
Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio
(TNS)

Nov. 9—CONNEAUT — Three Conneaut firefighters survived an escape from the second floor of a burning building late Friday night after getting trapped when a fire on the first floor flared, said Conneaut Fire Department Captain Chad Carter.

Carter said firefighters were called to to the 900 block of Monroe Street for a fully involved house fire. He said firefighters knocked down the fire on the first floor. They were walking to the second floor when the fire on the first floor reignited, effectively trapping them.

“A mayday was instituted for the three firefighters who were stuck on the second floor,” Carter said.

He said two firefighters leapt face-first onto a small overhang roof, and another hung from a window sill until a ladder could be placed to rescue him.

“All three firefighters were transported to the hospital and treated and released for non-life threatening injuries,” Carter said.

He said the state fire marshal was called to determine the cause of the fire, and Conneaut City Manager Nick Sanford stopped by to check on the firefighters.

Carter said assistance was received Ashtabula Township, West Springfield and the Northeast Joint Fire District.

Three people were home at the time of the fire, said Amanda Blevins, who lives at the house with her husband, Chris, and two daughters. She said her husband and their 12 year-old daughter had been watching movies and preparing to go to bed, but decided to watch one more show.

They were interrupted by someone pounding on the front door, she said.

“We had no idea the house was on fire,” Amanda Blevins said.

The eastern wall of the home was completely blackened by the fire, and the 12-year-old’s bedroom was severely damaged.

“My daughter literally lost everything,” Blevins said.

A crowdfunding campaign has been set up to support the family, at gofund.me/039da360.

A 21-year-old daughter was at a concert and not home at the time of the fire, Chris Blevins said.

“911 was called before we even knew the house was on fire,” Blevins said.

He said the fire department response was amazing, as they came from just several blocks down the road.

Blevins said he made sure his wife and daughter were out of the house and got one of the family’s dogs out, then dashed back to get some leashes for the animals. which were later taken to a veterinarian for boarding.

He said he heard glass popping at that point.

Red Cross Disaster Action Team Supervisor Jesse Allen said he was called around 2:30 a.m., and came to assist on Saturday.

The family stayed with Amanda Blevins’ sister in Ashtabula after the fire.

The western side of the house appeared undamaged from the outside, and one room was barely touched by fire, Chris Blevins said.

The Blevins family said a good samaritan that alerted them to the danger left after seeing things were under control, and they don’t even know who it was.

The couple were back on-scene early Saturday afternoon talking with Red Cross workers who arrived to assist the family.

This story was updated to include a link to a crowdfunding campaign.

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