MILLFIELD, Ohio — A structure fire destroyed a two-story home in a residential neighborhood along Millfield Road last night.
No one was injured, and the cause of the fire is unknown, said Chauncey Fire Department Chief Mark Sanders. The building “looks to be a total loss,” Sanders said.
The Chauncey Fire Department led the response to the fire Monday night, battling the fire for “probably 4 or 5 hours,” Sanders said.
Sanders said the fire had fully engulfed the home by the time the department arrived on the scene. The house had a balloon frame, Sanders said, and fires at such houses “are really hard to put out, but we got it.”
In a balloon-framed structure, the wall studs extend from the foundation sill to the roof, creating house-height spaces that allow fire to spread quickly between the walls. This construction method was popular from the late 19th century to the late 1930s, making it a common feature of older houses.
The Chauncey Fire Department received aid from the Glouster, Jacksonville, York Township, The Plains, and the Richland Area fire departments.
Bob Funk with the Glouster Fire Department said he was on the scene from shortly before 9 p.m. until about 1:30 a.m.
“I was mostly hauling water back and forth,” Funk said. He estimated the home had 11 rooms.
Athens County has experienced several major structural fires recently, including a Thanksgiving Day fire that claimed five lives and a fire last week at an Athens apartment building that temporarily displaced 30 residents.
“Some of them are due to heaters, some of them are due to electric,” Sanders said. “Some of these older houses are just on their timeline.”
The family whose home burned is receiving support from the American Red Cross, said Marita Salkowski, the organization’s regional communications director. While needs vary among individuals after disasters, Red Cross support may include emergency financial assistance, health and mental health services, and emotional support and casework.
The American Red Cross has opened seven Athens County cases so far in 2024 due to fire, Salkowski said.
The Hampton Inn by Hilton of Athens will be collecting items for the family who lost their home to the fire, said Hampton Inn General Manager Lindsay Barnett.
“I don’t have any details yet on what we would need to collect, but I’m assuming that they’ll need household items, clothing,” Barnett said. “I know one of the children is young, so probably toys or things of that nature. In general, anything that anybody could donate. But we’re going to take collections, so anybody can drop off 24 hours a day, somebody will be here to take it.”
The hotel will share a more detailed list of the family’s needs via an announcement on its Facebook page, Barnett said.
Update: The family has established a GoFundMe with a $5,000 goal.
Keri Johnson contributed to this reporting.
