The fire was reported about 8 p.m. at a house behind a business in the 3700 block of National Road (U.S. Route 40) near Cherry Drive in Springfield Twp.
Route 40 was shut down in the area near Business Equipment Co. as firefighters worked to get the house fire under control.
The structure was found to be fully involved, and took several hours to completely extinguish, with frigid temperatures and the confined area adding to the difficulties, according to a Clark County Sheriff’s Office press release.
Firefighters were ordered out of the building when conditions were deemed unsafe.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
“There was significant and devastating damage to the structure and and its contents,” the sheriff’s office report said, noting the dogs, “formerly rescued from shelters, were sadly lost to the fire.”
A fourteenth dog was rescued and united with its owner.
In addition to Springfield Twp. firefighters, first responders from Bethel and German townships and the city of Springfield assisted at the scene.
Gary Stroede lives nearby and said his dog started barking when he looked outside and saw the back of the 1.5-story house already engulfed in flames.
No estimate on damage was available Monday. The cause of the fire as of Monday afternoon was undetermined, according to a sheriff’s office spokesperson.
This fire remains under investigation by the Office of State Fire Marshal, with assistance from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
Anyone with any information is encouraged to call the Clark County Sheriff’s Office at 937-328-2560.
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