A Cincinnati firefighter was hospitalized with minor injuries following an apartment fire in Pleasant Ridge last Friday evening, as flames that began in a refrigerator wrought havoc just days before Christmas. According to WLWT, crews were dispatched at approximately 6:42 p.m. to the building on Dryden Avenue. While the initial report was a refrigerator fire, it escalated quickly, spreading to the kitchen's cabinetry and other parts of the second floor.
The Cincinnati Fire Department knocked down the fire in about 15 minutes, but not before it caused an estimated $250,000 in damages and displaced two families. Each family, one containing two adults and a child and the other comprised of just two adults, was ensured safety from the blaze, FOX19 reports. The firefighter suffered shortness of breath and was transported to the hospital for evaluation, "District Chief Philip Worsham tells FOX19 NOW at the scene."
The Red Cross assisted the impacted families in the fire's aftermath, offering support and aid during this unforeseen disaster. Only two apartments faced significant damage despite the potential for a more devastating outcome; as Local12 noted, the building, constructed in 1937, is a multi-dwelling brick structure that could have facilitated a more rapid fire spread.
