A fast-moving house fire on Cleveland's East 104th Street corridor sent one woman to the hospital in critical condition Sunday evening after firefighters pulled her from the burning home. Crews also managed to rescue a cat and had the flames under control within minutes, neighbors and officials said. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
What Officials Reported
According to News 5 Cleveland, the Cleveland Fire Department said crews were dispatched to the 3700 block of East 104th Street around 7:52 p.m. Firefighters arrived to find flames in the family room on the first floor, then located the woman in the kitchen area. She was taken by EMS to a nearby hospital in critical condition, officials said.
The department estimated about $75,000 in damage to the home and noted that investigators are still working to determine what sparked the fire.
Who Responded
A post from Cleveland Fire Fighters IAFF Local 93 listed a heavy response at the scene, including ladder companies 36 and 11, Rescue Company 1, engine companies 26, 41 and 36, the chief of the 5th Battalion and an assistant chief. The union highlighted how multiple companies converged on the home quickly to get the fire knocked down and the victim out.
Smoke Alarms and Prevention
The fire department told News 5 Cleveland there were no working smoke alarms reported inside the house, a point officials stressed while urging residents to double-check their own detectors.
Data from the NFPA shows that working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half, and a large share of home fire deaths happen in houses with no alarms or alarms that do not work.
Investigation and Next Steps
Fire investigators continued to examine the damage while crews stayed on scene into the night to complete overhaul. Authorities have not released any additional updates on the woman's condition. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Cleveland police or the Cleveland Division of Fire.
