Off-duty firefighters & neighbor rescue baby, residents from burning Minerva house

Nancy Molnar, Canton Repository
The fire at a home at 311 S. Market St. in Minerva started on the rear deck Thursday afternoon.
The fire at a home at 311 S. Market St. in Minerva started on the rear deck Thursday afternoon.

MINERVA ‒ Two off-duty firefighters and a neighbor helped to rescue residents from a burning house at 311 S. Market St. on Thursday afternoon.

"Both of them responded directly to the scene, and with the help of a neighbor and his ladder were able to get two of the occupants down a ladder ... a female and a baby," Sandy Creek Fire Chief Aaron Stoller said.

The occupants were removed from the second story of the two-story wood frame house.

Off-duty firefighters Mike Phillips and Brandon Reed also helped a female escape through a first-floor window because the door could not be opened, Stoller said.

Firefighters work inside a home at 311 S. Market St. in Minerva that burned Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters work inside a home at 311 S. Market St. in Minerva that burned Thursday afternoon.

On the interior of the house, crews were able to find a dog and take it to safety.

Phillips was on his way to a relative's home nearby when he diverted to the fire. Reed came from a nearby park where he was attending a T-ball practice with his child.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 4:48 p.m. and remained there for about an hour and 15 minutes. Stoller said the fire started on the deck at the back of the house before spreading into the attic and second story. Smoke damage occurred throughout the structure.

A home at 311 South Market St., Minerva, sustained smoke damage in a fire Thursday afternoon.
A home at 311 South Market St., Minerva, sustained smoke damage in a fire Thursday afternoon.

Stoller said the fire is believed to have been accidental. He said neither the tenant nor the landlord are believed to have insurance.

The Augusta Township Volunteer Fire Department, Great Trail Fire District and Minerva Police Department also responded.

Stoller said the house was not habitable after the fire. The American Red Cross was called to assist the residents.

Shannon Lisk has started a GoFundMe account to help the family: Kerri Ross and her children Makayla, Bryson and Preston Wilson.

Thursday: House fire displaces family in Canton Township

Plain Township: Warehouse fire deemed to be arson. Now there's a reward being offered

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Baby rescued from second story of burning Minerva house

Advertisement