UHRICHSVILLE, OH - Firefighters were able to search inside a burning home quickly on Sunday morning because extra hands were at the scene, according to fire Capt. Wes Dillon.
He said two volunteer firefighters had stopped by the station, and another had stayed at the building from the previous shift, when the alarm came in at 8:23 a.m.
They joined two on-duty firefighters in responding to 439 E. Fourth St.
They arrived to find smoke pouring from a second-story window of the building, where they believed residents were trapped.
A search of the house found no one inside, Dillon said. A relative of the occupants later told firefighters the tenants were elsewhere.
Dillon said the fire started in the kitchen. He said the cause is undetermined although an electrical cause cannot be ruled out.
Heavy fire damage was reported in the kitchen, with smoke and heat damage in the rest of the building.
The fire was knocked down in about 10 minutes, Dillon said. Firefighters left the scene at 9:45 a.m.
The extra help allowed firefighters to search inside the residence while one served as incident commander and another manned the fire truck, Dillon said.
He said the fire was extinguished more quickly, and firefighters were safer, because the three additional staffers were present.
Called to assist were firefighters from Dennison, New Philadelphia, Warwick Township and the Arrowhead Joint Fire District.
The Tuscarawas County Auditor's Office lists the property as a three-unit residence owned by Rhoda and Leroy Troyer of Sugarcreek. The building is valued at $48,570.
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