“Upon arrival, firefighters found the second floor of the building fully involved,” Hutchison said. “Due to the building’s pre-existing unsafe condition and the extent of the fire, all operations were conducted defensively from the exterior to ensure responder safety.”
He said mutual aid was immediately requested, and ladder trucks from multiple surrounding jurisdictions assisted in containing the fire to the original structure.
“While neighboring properties sustained some water and possible heat damage, the coordinated efforts of all responding agencies successfully prevented the fire from spreading further,” Hutchison said. “Due to safety concerns following a partial structural collapse, the building was immediately razed.”
No injuries were reported.
Witness reports indicated the blaze consumed an historic commercial building at the corner of Ohio 35 and 503. At one time, it was The Lange Hotel and it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
“Last night, many witnessed a piece of history go up in flames in downtown West Alexandria. It was surreal to watch, but equally incredible to see our local fire stations come together in full force,” states a Facebook post from Rep. Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria.
“As the fire was nearing containment, Adam Bowen brought in his trackhoe to help tear down the building. Just as he was making progress, the ground gave way, and he found himself heading toward the basement. After about 90 minutes of effort, L&L Towing managed to pull him out, and Adam didn’t hesitate and was back to work immediately,” Creech’s post said.
“Fire departments from the City of Brookville, City of Eaton, and Farmersville brought in their ladder trucks, while Lewisburg and Shawnee joined forces with West Alexandria to battle the blaze,” Creech’s post reads.
An online fundraiser created Sunday indicates the building was planned to become a community center.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time, Hutchison said.
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