A one-alarm fire broke out late Thursday morning at the Planned Parenthood building on Auburn Avenue in the Mount Auburn neighborhood. Still, a quick response from the building’s sprinkler system kept what could have been a serious situation limited to a basement storage room. The fire was reported around 11:40 a.m., and arriving crews found the facility empty. Officials say the cause is still under investigation.
Fire officials classified the incident as a one-alarm fire and credited the sprinkler system with boxing the flames into that single storage area, according to WKRC Local 12. No one was found inside the building, and investigators remained on scene into the afternoon.
Busy Clinic Serves as Local Health Hub
The Auburn Avenue building houses Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio’s Mt. Auburn Health Center, along with a Cincinnati Surgical Center at 2314 Auburn Avenue. The affiliate lists the location as providing both family-planning and surgical services.
According to Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region, the facilities offer a range of reproductive-health services and allow patients to schedule appointments by phone or through online booking.
Site Long on the Radar of Activists and Arsonists
The Mount Auburn clinic has for years been a regular gathering point for local protests, and Auburn Avenue itself has a history of attacks on reproductive-health facilities. An archived report from WCPO recounts a December 1985 basement arson at a Planned Parenthood on Auburn Avenue that caused heavy damage and forced the center to close for months.
Investigators Keep Digging as Patients Seek Answers
Fire investigators are continuing to work the case as they try to pinpoint what sparked Thursday’s blaze, officials told WKRC Local 12. Patients with upcoming appointments are being urged to check Planned Parenthood’s website or call the clinic directly for the latest updates on scheduling.
