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Cleanup underway in Uptown after fire
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Crews were on the scene Monday for the second day cleaning up the remnants of three buildings that were destroyed in a fire early Sunday in the Uptown area of Market Street.
Damage is estimated at more than $250,000 to the buildings at 2710 to 2727 Market St., where crews were called about 3:05 a.m. Sunday and found a large fire. Firefighters went inside, and one crew managed to make it about 20 feet into one of the buildings but was pulled out because the floors and roofs were unstable.
Efforts then focused on saving the remaining buildings, which firefighters were able to do.
One of the buildings they managed to save was the Uptown Theater, which is on the corner of Hylda Avenue and Market Street. The other end of the complex also was saved, on the corner of Indianola Avenue and Market Street. The buildings that were destroyed were in the middle.
Fire Investigator Capt. Alvin Ware said the fire started in the 2710 Market St. building. He said it was able to do so much damage because the roofs of the buildings contain highly flammable tar.
Ware also said he thinks the fire was burning for a long time before crews were called by a passer-by. One of the fire stations, Station 2 on Indianola Avenue, is less than two minutes away, and he said that crew had been on several runs throughout the late evening Saturday and early morning Sunday but never noticed any fire.
Construction crews were on the scene Monday morning cleaning up the debris and were also on the scene Sunday shortly after the flames were brought under control. Crews were on the scene of the fire until about 6 p.m. Sunday.
One firefighter was slightly injured, according to fire reports.
Ware said he does not yet have a cause for the fire, which is under investigation.