GREENVILLE – A family was left homeless Sunday evening after their home, handed down from generation to generation for over 120 years, was destroyed by a fire that was visible for miles in the night sky.
At approximately 7:14 p.m., firefighters from the Greenville Township Fire Department were dispatched to the area of the 2700 block of State Route 571 West in reference to a fire in the woods with flames showing. It was discovered after the arrival of crews to the scene that the fire was instead located in the 2400 block of Wagner Road and was now a fully involved residential structure fire. A second and third alarm was requested with mutual aid departments from across the county responding.
According to Assistant Fire Chief Greg Miller of the Union City, Ohio Fire Department, the residence, which was located on a wooded lot nearly 1200 feet down a narrow lane, was fully involved in fire with smoke and flames showing from all portions of the structure when crews arrived. Due to the heavy structural damage from the roof collapsing and the inability of firefighters to reach portions of the interior of the home, heavy equipment was requested to the scene to aid in the operations and raze the structure.
“This property has been in our family for nearly two hundred years. Handed down from generation to generation,” commented property owner Mark Cox. “We lost everything we own,” he continued. “When we left home tonight we didn’t expect it to be our last time.”
According to Assistant Chief Miller, the cause and nature of the fire are unknown and will remain under investigation by the Union City, Ohio Fire Department. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
