While members of the Newark Volunteer Fire Department were at a personal injury motor vehicle accident on Route 88 North they were dispatched by the Wayne County 911 Center for a working house fire at about 3:33 pm on Thursday (3/22), with someone trapped on the roof at 309 East Union Street, their third working structure fire within 17 days.
The structure was a multiple unit apartment complex. The Department was on the scene within two minutes and were met with heavy smoke coming from the second floor with people claiming someone could be inside.
Under the command of Newark Fire Chief Rusty Havert, firefighters entered the structure to locate and extinguish the fire, search for others in the building and at the same time assisted a resident down from a one story roof using a ladder. Assisting with the rescue were Newark firefighters Captain Doug Velte, Captain Rodney Bliss and Newark Police Officer Dan Weager.
Newark Police Chief David Christler commented on the fast response and how fortunate residents are of the fire protection in the Village. The Lyons Fire Dept. was called for their RIT Team upon Newark’s arrival. Also assisting at the fire scene was the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department and Newark EMS who transported one resident to Newark Wayne Community Hospital for evaluation.