Early morning Warren fire ‘could have been catastrophic’

WARREN — The city’s fire chief said a fire that left two men and a dog on the roof of an East Market Street rooming house early today could have been “catastrophic” if more of the dozen rooms on the second floor of the building would have been occupied.

When firefighters arrived at the 1:50 a.m. fire, they rescued resident Bobby Hazard, his dog and another man from the roof. The building is at 222 East Market St., next to the Horseshoe Bar at Pine Avenue Southeast.

Firefighters used an extension ladder to rescue all three. No injuries were reported.

“The fact that there were working smoke detectors and the dog barking probably saved their lives,” said Fire Chief Ken Nussle.

Hazard’s room was the only one of about a dozen rooms on the second floor that was occupied, Nussle said.

The men were unable to make it down the stairwell from the second floor because of smoke and fire, so they went up to the roof to escape, Nussle said, adding that if more people would have been living there, it “could have been catastrophic.”

He said there did not appear to be any fire code violations.

The Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office and Lt. Jeremy Rodgers of the Warren Fire Department are investigating the cause of the fire, which caused about $275,000 in damage, mostly to the second floor.

Nussle said it’s not certain yet where the fire started — whether in Hazard’s room or elsewhere on the second floor. The second floor sustained heavy fire damage throughout.

Water could be seen on the floor of the martial arts studio on the first floor.

Nussle said it’s unknown so far who reported the fire to the county 911 center. The person just said there was a “fire next to the Horseshoe and hung up,” Nussle said.