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Twelve people escape house fire outside Oxford

Nick Graham/Staff photographer Fire crews responded to a fire today inside the attic of a home at 4447 Oxford Trenton Road.

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By Hannah Poturalski, Staff Writer Updated 6:59 PM Thursday, February 2, 2012

OXFORD TWP. — Twelve people and two pit bull dogs escaped a home Thursday that caught fire.

Around 10 a.m., multiple fire crews responded to 4441 Oxford Trenton Road near Springwood Drive and found a working fire in the home’s attic.

Oxford Fire Chief John Detherage estimated the damage at $60,000 and said they narrowed down the origin of the fire to an “area” where there is a ventilation fan in a bathroom.

“We didn’t find the exact cause but we’ve got it narrowed down to an area,“ he said. “It’ll probably go down as undetermined or electrical.”

Detherage said the initial crew of firefighters were able to contain the fire to the attic by tearing open the ceiling.

“(The crew) made a heck of a stop,” Detherage said. “I was 30 seconds from pulling them out and letting (the fire) go.”

Resident Dan Atkin, 20, said he and his friends were inside sleeping when a man walking by pounded on the door after seeing heavy smoke.

“Thank you to who stopped by,” Atkin said. “We didn’t smell any smoke. The dogs weren’t barking at all.”

Atkin said no smoke alarms went off inside the home, which he has lived in for about seven months.

Shanita Heath, 20, of Sharonville said she spent the night at Atkin’s home.

“We were all asleep; we would have died basically,” Heath said, if the unidentified Good Samaritan had not knocked.

Property owner Clyde Sparks said he and his wife rent the home to two residents. He said a party was held Wednesday night which is why so many people were in the home.

On Thursday, Atkin was cited with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia after firefighters removed from the home glass bongs containing marijuana residue, Oxford Twp. police Chief Michael Goins said.

Oxford Twp. police have made nine alcohol and drug-related arrests at the location in 2011 and responded to calls 25 times since 2010, Goins said.

“It seems all the locals know this is where to come,” Goins said. “Evidently they had a party last night.”

Mutual aid was received from units in Ross, Riley Twp., Milford Twp., College Corner and Hanover Twp.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2179 or Hannah.Poturalski@coxinc.com.

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