A serious fire that erupted in a West End apartment high-rise left one woman with life-threatening injuries and forced firefighters into a strenuous blaze battle up 14 floors, local authorities report. The incident occurred last Friday afternoon at the Stanley Rowe Tower, located at 1622 Linn Street, where thick smoke signaled the onset of an emergency just before 12:30 p.m. Responding from a firehouse across the street, fire crews noticed the smoke and sprung into action, FOX19 reported.
The Cincinnati Fire Department noted that upon their swift arrival, crews could contain and extinguish the fire within 15 minutes. Unfortunately, the fire caused one victim, a 60-year-old woman, to be hospitalized with serious injuries. "One person was found while firefighters checked the 14th floor. That person was taken out of the building and put in a transport unit to go to the hospital," the CFD stated, as WCPO reported. The condition of the woman, who has yet to be named, is considered dire.
Despite the high-rise nature of the building, which necessitated a significant physical effort to reach and put out the fire, no firefighters sustained injuries during the incident. District Fire Chief Randal Freel disclosed to FOX19, "About 80 firefighters responded." With the flames subdued, the fire has resulted in an estimated $25,000 in damage, and the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority is stepping in to assist residents who the event has displaced.
The fire's cause is currently under investigation by CFD's Fire Investigation Unit, details of which have yet to be unveiled. According to the FOX19 report, "Investigators are working to figure out what started the fire," Freel remarked, signaling ongoing efforts to untangle the morning's harrowing sequence of events. Meanwhile, affected communities in the West End await answers as the injured woman fights for her life in the wake of a seemingly sudden midday calamity.
