Woman dead, man hospitalized after Riverside house fire

RIVERSIDE — A woman is dead after a fire at a Riverside home Monday afternoon.

Firefighters were called out to the 400 block of Towanda Circle around 1:40 p.m. on reports of a fire with two people trapped.

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Riverside’s interim fire chief, Brian Taylor, told News Center 7 that a man was found near the back of the house by a door. He was rushed to Miami Valley Hospital.

It wasn’t until around 4 p.m. that firefighters found the woman dead in the basement.

Firefighters said the home was packed with items, which made it difficult for them to see or maneuver through the home.

“A lot of people would call it hoarding homes, but we typically call it ‘heavy content.’,” Taylor said.

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Taylor said they had a mayday call when one firefighter became lost in the black-out condition. That crew member was quickly found and unharmed.

As for the victims, their identities have not been released at this time.

Neighbors describe the two who lived in the home as an elderly couple and long-time residents.

Neighbors told News Center 7 that in a close-knit neighborhood like this, the tragedy of the fire will be felt.

Chuck Van Dam lives up the block from the fire and was at work when it started.

“I grew up in this area and I mean it’s a close-knit, a lot of the kids who move away, I’m one of them, move back after they’ve grown up and a lot of, a lot of the people who live here have been here for years,” he said.

He said he is thinking of his neighbors and their family.

“There’ll be several people that’ll be touched by it I’m sure,” he said.

Three state fire marshals are helping Riverside Fire determine what caused the deadly fire.

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