Fires keep crews busy

Fires keep crews busy

YOUNGSTOWN — Vacant houses on the South and East sides were burned between Wednesday evening and early Thursday. Fire was showing on the second floor when crews arrived at 524 Fithian Ave. on the South Side at 2:40 a.m. Thursday. Damage was set at $7,000, and the cause is under investigation.

Around 11:15 p.m. Wednesday, the house at 508 Hillman St. on the South Side was in flames and a total loss, the fire department said. Value of the structure was listed as $1,000. The cause is under investigation. On the East Side, fire was intentionally set in the kitchen at 1045 Gray Ave. at 6:20 p.m. Wednesday. Damage was set at $5,000. Firefighters said a previous fire at the house had left large holes in the first floor.

Elsewhere, a cooking fire at 1301 Aberdeen Ave. on the South Side did $5,000 damage to the house and contents around 9 p.m. Wednesday, reports show.

Motorcyclist dies in crash

BRISTOLVILLE — A Warren man was killed when his motorcycle crashed into a commercial tractor-trailer on state Route 88 Wednesday evening.

Clark M. Birch III, 41, was traveling northbound along the North Park Extension on his motorcycle when he failed to stop at the stop sign at the state Route 88 intersection, hitting the oncoming trailer.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, Ralph M. Free, 53, of Bristolville, was ejected from his seat from the force of the crash but was not injured. Both vehicles caught fire after coming to a rest on Route 88.

Birch was pronounced dead at the scene and was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.