Just before 2:00 p.m. the North Royalton Fire Department received a call for a working house fire on Bennett Road. “We saw a large plume of smoke coming down Bennett Road and knew quickly that it was a large fire,” said North Royalton Fire Chief Bob Chegan.
Chegan said that no units were available. “Actually there was no one at the station, we were short – we had both medics out,” Mutual aid was called in from the Fire Departments of Strongsville, Brunswick, Broadview Heights, Parma and Hinckley. When crews arrived at 17468 Bennett Road, the fire appeared to have started outside. “It caught the house to the right on fire and got into the house, which damaged the upstairs, attic and first floor. The house to the left was burning, which melted off the siding, the gas and electric meters. The RV, which was parked in between was engulfed.” “It was very interesting, to say the least. To have two master streams on it in a short amount of time. It saved the two houses from completely burning down. They did a great job,” said Chegan. No one was home at the one house and the other was safely evacuated.
“Our first mode of action is always life saving,” said Chegan. “The second is property conservation. We need to protect the exposure and try to put the fire out at the same time. Once the crews started showing up, we were good to go in. We just didn’t have the manpower to do all three at once.”
It has been determined that the first started outside the RV. “Next to the RV, was a riding lawnmower. It was used earlier in the day and must have had a mechanical or electrical issue,” said Chegan.
Bennett Road was closed between Drake and Edgerton Roads during that time. Those roads were opened back to traffic at about 4:15 p.m.
“Bennett Road sure has seen their share of house fires,” said Chegan. There have been about five in the past eight years.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer