Multiple fires deliberately set inside a vacant Hough Avenue building sent smoke pouring from shattered windows Wednesday evening, as Cleveland firefighters swarmed the scene and knocked down the flames before anyone was hurt.
Crews were dispatched in the late afternoon to the vacant structure near the Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center and stayed for more than an hour, working through heavy smoke to chase down hotspots. The incident quickly turned from a routine call into an arson investigation, according to officials.
According to WOIO/Cleveland 19, the Cleveland Division of Fire said units arrived at about 5:37 p.m. at 8555 Hough and found several small fires set to furniture, books, and papers throughout the empty building. Lt. Mike Norman told the station there were no injuries, and investigators remained on scene while crews wrapped up just before 7 p.m.
Officials estimated roughly $75,000 in damage. Many of the building’s windows were already broken by the time firefighters finished their work, a combination of preexisting damage and the effort to ventilate the smoke.
Vacant Properties Fuel Repeat Fire Fights
Vacant and abandoned buildings have long dogged Cleveland, and fire officials, along with local reporting, have repeatedly documented how quickly small rubbish fires inside these structures can swell into multi-room blazes that tie up entire battalions.
Earlier this year, a large fire at a vacant school required a heavy response from Battalion 6 and left investigators combing through the scene, as detailed in vacant school erupts in fiery one-two punch. City leaders have floated tighter rules on vacant properties under Mayor Justin Bibb’s “Residents First” housing plan in an effort to cut down on the kind of scenes firefighters faced again on Hough Avenue on Wednesday.
Investigators Probe How Fires Were Set
Fire Division officials said investigators were examining the vacant building Wednesday evening to piece together how and why multiple fires were started inside. WOIO/Cleveland 19 reported the department had not released additional details about the probe as crews cleared the area, and the inquiry remains active.
Neighborhood advocates argue that getting a handle on vacant-property blight is key to preventing repeat arsons and protecting community resources. Earlier reporting this year pointed to similar patterns of rubbish and suspected arson fires in empty structures and the toll they take on fire crews, a trend underscored by the strain those incidents place on Cleveland's battalions.
