Firefighters unable to determine cause in Centerville apartment fire

CENTERVILLE — UPDATE @ 3:58 p.m. (Oct. 25):

A cause to a fire in a Centerville apartment is unable to be determined due to the amount of damage, according to the state fire marshal’s office.

According to the office, the building is not being considered a total loss and officials do not believe it is suspicious in nature.

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UPDATE @ 5 p.m. (Oct. 24):

Two Centerville police officers pulled Timothy Stark from a burning apartment to a hallway, where heavy smoke forced them to turn back at a three-story apartment building at 261 N. Main St. in Centerville behind Marion’s Piazza.

Shortly before 1:30 a.m., residents of a neighboring apartment reported the fire, and that people were trapped.

“Prior to the fire department arriving on the scene, two Centerville Police Department officers assisted the victim to the hallway, where they were forced to turn back due to heavy smoke,” Washington Twp. Fire Chief William Gaul stated in a release.

The officers also helped evacuate the building of six residents. Centerville police said they had to make a “human chain” to help navigate the dense smoke.

The fire started in a second-floor apartment and was controlled within 10 minutes, Gaul said. Damage was contained to the apartment where the fire started.

Smoke detectors appeared to be working, and an estimated 10 residents were displaced, officicals said earlier.

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The State Fire Marshal’s Office has been contacted and is assisting with the investigation. Loss to the structure and contents has not been determined, Gaul said.

UPDATE @ 3:40 p.m:

Centerville police said Timothy Stark is the man officers helped pull from a burning apartment early this morning.

EARLIER REPORT

One person was injured and several people were trapped and had to be rescued when a fire broke out at a Centerville apartment building.

When fire crews arrived on the scene of an apartment fire in Centerville around 1:30 a.m., two Centerville officers already had pulled a victim from an apartment out into a hallway, fire officials said. Crews removed the victim and took him to an area hospital.

Mutual aid was requested from Kettering, Sugarcreek Twp. and Bellbrook fire crews.