Fire Captain Michael A. Washington reported on a two-alarm structure fire which occurred late last evening in Westwood. At 11:44 PM the Cincinnati Fire Communication Center received a telephone call reporting smoke on the fifth floor of a five-story forty unit apartment complex.

Initial arriving fire units arrived on the scene discovering smoke showing from the top floor of this building. Due to the time of day, the location of the fire and the building being an occupied structure with a large number of occupants, a second alarm was immediately transmitted for additional resources.

An aggressive interior fire attack was conducted to suppress the fire on the fifth floor. Fire companies affected several rescues of trapped occupants, some occupants were allowed to “shelter in place”. All person were eventually accounted for, the fire was quickly brought under control with twenty-minutes.

The origin and cause has been determined in this incident, food left unattended on the stove in the fifth floor apartment was the causation factor. The occupants from the “fire apartment” were displaced and are seeking assistance from the American Red Cross. There were no reported injuries at this fire. Damage is estimated at $35,000.00 dollars. Fire Alarms alerted building occupants of the smoke condition which gave advance notice to exit the building.