by Jeff Saunders
Reporter
Macedonia -- A Shepard Road home sustained as much as $175,000 in damage to its structure and contents in a Nov. 1 fire discovered by Fire Chief Tim Black.
Black said no one was at home at the time of the fire and the only injury was heat exhaustion suffered by a Northfield Village firefighter, who was treated at the scene. The cause of the fire was still under investigation Nov. 2, according to Black.
Fire Capt. Brian Ripley said the home is "uninhabitable" at this time. He said the family made arrangements to stay elsewhere, but he did not have any additional information.
Black said he had just left the department's Valley View Road station at a little after 11 a.m. when he saw smoke coming from an area around the Nordonia Hills YMCA.
"I thought maybe someone was burning a large pile of leaves because it was a pretty good plume," he said.
However, when he investigated, he discovered the home on fire and called the department. A total of 21 firefighters, including 13 from the city, and four each from Twinsburg and the village, responded. Oakwood Village sent an ambulance to treat the Northfield Village firefighter, and Northfield Center responded to a medical emergency elsewhere in the city.
Firefighters were on scene about 11:30 a.m., and the fire was under control within about 20 to 30 minutes and fully extinguished by about 12:40 p.m.
"Pretty much half the house is destroyed," said Black, adding he believes the home can be repaired.
Black estimated that the house itself sustained about $75,000 in damages, with the roof burned through in two spots and much of the interior sustaining smoke and fire damage.
He said damages to contents totaled as much as $100,000, but this is uncertain because the department does not have a complete list of what was in the house.
E-mail: jsaunders@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3169