An area of Medina used to be farmland. Now the area is filled with homes and the area is growing faster than ever.
Homeowners are buying peace and tranquility, but they may be selling out when it comes to safety, according to 5 On Your Side Investigator Ron Regan.
Regan reported many suburbs, like Medina, are finding there's not enough money to staff full-time fire departments.
"It's a service that we provide to the community just like any other, and it has costs. And that cost has to come from the community. If it comes from the existing resources of the city than some other service would have to be cut," said Medina City Fire Department's Chief Bob Herthneck.
Like many other fast-growing suburbs in Ohio, Medina's fire department is all-volunteer. They are volunteers who do the best they can, but when a fire starts, seconds count, Regan reported.
5 On Your Side teamed up with local firefighters to show you what happens inside a fire.
An abandoned home on the west side was donated to show firefighters how quickly fire spreads.
Within just 30 seconds, even a small flame can burn out of control, Regan reported.
The room temperature skyrockets to 100 degrees on the floor and 600 degrees at eye level. At that temperature, your clothes will melt into your skin.
In just five minutes, the room is so hot that everything in it ignites at once.
Regan reported that's why getting firefighters to a fire quickly is a matter of life and death.
Last December, the Yuhos family watched their Sheffield Township home go up in flames.
The couple's son called 911. He was home alone and spotted flames in the bedroom, Regan reported.
Fortunately, he got out alive, but the family lost everything.
"It's hard to see your life is gone," said Lisa Yuhos. "Just what little bit we had is all gone."
While the fire department is just around the corner, it took 10 full minutes to arrive at the Yuhos' house.
The National Fire Protection Association develops fire standards used across the country, and said neighborhoods all over Ohio are at risk because funding for fire protection falls short.
Gary Tockle spoke to WEWS from the ABC affiliate in Boston.
"Communities oftentimes have a difficult time recognizing that they need to do that," Tockle said. "Oftentimes what happens is they don't recognize it until something catastrophic happens."
Without more money to hire full-time firefighters, response time will be far behind what fire experts recommend.
Chief Bill Herthneck of the Medina City Fire Department said, "I don't know from hour-to-hour or minute-to-minute where all my volunteers are. And if all of them chose today to go to the mall to shop in Strongsville, they're not going to be here to respond to a call."
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