Two fires keep Youngstown firefighters busy

YOUNGSTOWN — Two house fires kept the fire department busy.

While a mattress smoldered in a second-floor bedroom at 439 Catalina Ave., the homeowner got his 101-year-old father and the family dog to safety. The man told firefighters he returned home around 8 p.m. Sunday to find the place full of smoke. Firefighters used a tarp to remove the bed. The cause of the unintentional fire was listed as a candle. Damage to the property and contents was set at $12,000.

Earlier Sunday, at 66 Indiana Ave., heavy smoke was showing from the large three-story home when firefighters arrived at 8:40 a.m. A sledge hammer had to be used to get in the back and front doors of the structure being renovated. There was heavy fire damage on the first floor and fire spread through the walls to the upper floors. Three firefighters suffered minor strains (two shoulders, one back). Damage was set at $8,000 to the property and contents. The cause is under investigation.