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Fire in historic Poland house kills 2 dogs, destroys 2-year renovation
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Firefighters work on a house fire at 323 S. Main Street in Poland on Thursday afternoon. The house, built in 1834, was being renovated at the time of the fire. Two dogs inside the home died, but homeowners were not in the house when the fire broke out.
By Susan Tebben
POLAND
A fire that made its way from the basement to the attic of a historic home on South Main Street set back renovation of the house and killed two dogs.
The house at 323 S. Main St., two doors down from the Poland public library, had fire coming out of the roof when fire crews from all over the southeastern part of the county arrived on the scene.
Crews from Springfield, Boardman, Struthers and the Western Reserve Joint Fire District came to assist when the home went up in flames about 3:30 p.m. The fire was discovered by someone passing by the home, according to Western Reserve Fire Chief David “Chip” Comstock. Western Reserve covers Poland Village and township.
“It’s hard to say if it was a total loss,” Comstock said, adding that no cause had been determined.
Because of the fire crews, Main Street was blocked off, causing delays on state route 170, Western Reserve Road and U.S. Route 224. Route 224 was backed up to the I-680 exit and entrance ramps, and police were redirecting traffic at the intersection of Route 224 and Route 170.
Fire inspectors will be investigating the fire, and it will take a while to determine a cause, Comstock said. Neither a detached garage nor the house next door was damaged.
Two dogs were the only occupants of the home and perished in the blaze. Owner Rex Fisher had been restoring the home for two years. He declined to comment at the scene.
According to the Mahoning County Auditor’s database, the home was built in 1834 and has 1,899 square feet. The total market value is listed at $176,690.