ELYRIA, Ohio — A two-story house on Bath Street in Elyria has been completely destroyed following a fire early Thursday morning.
Crews responded to the scene near Cascade Park around 1:30 a.m. and found "heavy smoke" coming from the second floor. Due to "extreme clutter," firefighters were not able to attack the flames from the inside, and more engine companies were called in from Elyria Township, Lorain, and Avon.
With the unspecified "clutter" preventing outside water from putting out the flames, Elyria Fire Chief Joseph D. Pronesti says he ordered the building to immediately be torn down. As this occurred, crews were able to extinguish the fire.
It is unknown if anyone was inside the home at the time of the blaze, but no injuries were reported. The fire caused an estimated $100,000 worth of damages, per Pronesti.
Firefighters were at the scene for more than six hours. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.