An electrical fire filled a Willoughby Hills high-rise with smoke, injuring four residents and temporarily cutting power to dozens of apartments.
An electrical fire Saturday night in a Willoughby Hills high-rise injured four people, forced evacuations and knocked out power to 90 apartments, officials said.WILLOUGHBY HILLS, Ohio — An electrical fire in a high-rise apartment building in Willoughby Hills forced dozens of residents into the cold Saturday night, injured four people and left 90 apartments without power, authorities said.
Fire crews were dispatched around 9:49 p.m. to the 12-story building at 27600 Chardon Road, just ahead of last weekend’s winter storm. Police officers who arrived first found heavy smoke on the first floor, according to Willoughby Hills Fire Chief Robert Gandee. Firefighters found a fire involving energized electrical meters inside a large maintenance closet toward the rear of the building. Because the equipment was still live, crews could not use water to fight the fire and instead relied on dry chemical and carbon dioxide extinguishers to avoid the risk of electrical shock, Gandee said. Smoke was reported on all 12 floors of the building. FirstEnergy was called to shut off electrical service so crews could fully extinguish the fire. The incident was brought under control shortly before 11 p.m. Dozens of residents were evacuated and initially sheltered in a nearby parking garage to escape the frigid temperatures. Laketran buses were requested to assist but later canceled after residents were allowed to re-enter the building. Four residents were injured, officials said. Three reported shortness of breath, and a fourth person was treated after slipping and falling on ice. Three people were taken by ambulance to University Hospitals West Medical Center in Willoughby for evaluation. While the building’s boiler system remained operational, the power outage displaced residents. A Red Cross shelter was set up Sunday afternoon at the Willoughby Hills Community Center for them. Electrical service to many units was restored later that day. The cause of the fire is believed to be an unspecified failure within the building’s electrical system, Gandee said. Molly Walsh covers Lake and Geauga Counties for The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com. Previously, she covered business, criminal justice and breaking news. Molly also worked as a reporter for the Akron Beacon...
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