‘There’s no way to make this okay;’ 5 bodies found in debris of multi-building fire in Dayton

DAYTON — There are at least five people dead after a multi-building fire in Dayton Wednesday.

At around 4 a.m., Dayton fire crews were called to a large two-story residence on fire in the 500 block of North Broadway Street.

Firefighters immediately went into the house to fight the fire and search for any victims.

After four minutes all crews were asked to exit the structure by the incident commander due to intense fire conditions throughout the structure and concern the home would collapse, according to a media release.

>> PHOTOS: Investigation underway after body is found in rubble of multi-building fire

Crews were unable to search the structure for any additional victims due to the conditions.

The incident commander called for an emergency demolition due to the instability of the building.

During demolition, a body was found near the back of the home.

Local cadaver dogs were called in to help search for any additional victims.

A total of five bodies were found in the debris, according to Dayton Fire Chief and Director Jeff Lykins.

Lykins said that crews searched a part of the building that was still standing. He added that they don’t expect to find additional victims.

“We did find out ... during the firefighting extinction process that there were squatters known to stay in the building, up to 12,” Lykins said.

To have this many deaths in a fire is “unprecedented,” he added.

“It’s a very difficult situation, certainly for the entire community,” Lykins said.

Peer support will be offered to firefighters who had to work the scene as well as demolition crews, he said.

As of 9 p.m., Lykins said crews are expected to stay on the scene for several more hours to wet it down and deconstruct the building.

>> PHOTOS: Firefighters battle Dayton house fire

A firefighter also sustained minor injuries while fighting the fire.

Fire investigators are working with the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office to determine the victim’s causes of death and their identities.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact the DFD Fire Investigation Unit at 937-333-TIPS.

We will continue to follow this developing story and update as new information becomes available.

Correction: A previous update in this story stated that a dog was also found dead, based on a press release provided by Dayton Fire Department. DFD later rescinded this statement and a dog was not found.

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