News
Carriage Hill Apartments Building 12 Damaged By Fire
By: Aaron Payne
Posted on:
Update 2:45 p.m.
An Ohio State Fire Marshal spokesperson said she erred in reporting natural gas as a contributing factor in the Carriage Hill fire. The fire at Building 12 was due to electrical wires in the building. The fire source was reportedly located in apartment 1213, an Athens Fire Department report stated. Arson is not suspected in the case.
Update 2/28/17 @ 12 p.m.
The Ohio State Fire Marshal is still investigating the origin of the Carriage Hill Apartment fire, but has linked a natural gas leak in Building 12 to the fire, according to spokesperson Kelly Stincer.
Update 2/27/17 @ 6:16 p.m.
The report from the Athens Fire Department estimates damage from the fire at the Carriage Hill Apartments to be more than $2 million. According to the report, the department estimates structural damage to be $1.2 million and damage to the contents of the building at $1 million.
Meanwhile, the American Red Cross says its working with people displaced by the fire to meet their immediate needs.
“We have been working non stop since we got the first phone call yesterday afternoon to help the students and families who are affected by the fire,” Marlene Henderson, executive director of the southeast Ohio chapter of the Red Cross said. “We have red cross workers that are working with the affected residents one on one to ensure that all their immediate needs are met. That is food, clothing and shelter.”
Update 2/27/17 @ 2:30 p.m.
Fire officials are still working to find the cause of the blaze that destroyed Building 12 of the Carriage Hill Apartments.
An estimated 50 people have been affected by the fire, and are being helped by the American Red Cross and Ohio University.
Ron Lucas, deputy service safety director for the city of Athens, said the fire marshal is still investigating the fire, and crews are still keeping an eye on the fire. Crews officially left the active fire scene at 7 a.m., Lucas said.
A spokesperson from the Ohio State Fire Marshal said arson is not being considered the cause, but the exact cause is still unknown.
The building was built in 1964 and did not have sprinkler systems installed, according to Lucas, but smoke alarms were heard at the scene of the fire.
Athens Fire Chief Robert Rymer was not available for comment as of 2:30 p.m. Monday.
Update 8:49 p.m.
Ohio University officials are using Baker University Center as a warming station for people displaced by the fire in Building 12 of the Carriage Hill apartment complex.
The university will be assisting students displaced by the fire while the Red Cross will be working with non-students.
Carriage Hill says there were 31 leases signed for Building 12. 50 people are affected by the fire, according to unofficial estimates.
Building 12 is considered a total loss. Building 13 was evacuated as precaution but it didn’t sustain any damage.
The fire marshal has been called into investigate the fire. Officials don’t have a cause to the fire at this time.
A Sunday afternoon fire is still burning parts of the Carriage Hill Apartments in Athens.
The Athens Fire Department is currently fighting the fire that appears to be affecting a section of apartments in the complex.
Emergency responders, including the Athens Fire and assisting crews from the Richland Area Volunteer Fire Department and The Plains Volunteer Fire Department, had to ask onlookers to step back from the buildings as the fire spread across the roof of building 12 at about 5:15 p.m. Sunday.
Smoke could be seen from Richland Avenue as the fire and smoke started to billow out of the roof of the complex. Residents in one part of the complex not affect by the fire said they noticed it at about 4:15 p.m.
Fire department officials and city officials did not have an update about the start of the fire or the amount of apartments affected as of 5 p.m.
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