A late-night fire in Barberton resulted in the collapse of a downtown building, though officials have reported no injuries. Cleveland 19 News reported that the fire started Thursday evening, with the roof collapsing during the blaze. Firefighters from the area responded to the scene at the 400 block of West Tuscarawas Ave., where they encountered heavy flames and smoke emanating from the building's top floor.
The Barberton Fire Department, along with assistance from neighboring cities Norton, New Franklin, and Coventry, managed to extinguish the fire promptly by 10:51 p.m., but not before the front part of the building gave way, collapsing onto the street below, a cascading failure that struck one minute following the firefighters' arrival on scene. WKYC noted that no individuals were found inside the building or in the two conjoined structures next to it, as fire crews conducted thorough searches subsequent to the fire's extinguishment.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is currently underway with the involvement of the South Summit Fire Investigation Unit and the state fire marshal's office, indicating that the origins of the incident remain a mystery at present. In a statement obtained by News 5 Cleveland, no further details were immediately available regarding the onset of the fire, which led to the dramatic collapse.
Witnesses and nearby residents reacted to the incident with surprise and relief that the late-night fire did not result in any physical harm. "Now that the sun is up, I can see the amount of damage it has done. It’s like the whole top floor is removed," Juaquene Donnie told Cleveland 19 News, reflecting the community's shock at the scale of destruction. The Barberton Fire Department extended gratitude to local police, street departments, and the additional fire crews that assisted at the scene, with a promise to release further information as it becomes available, according to WKYC's coverage of the incident.
