At 11:41 p.m. on July 13, 2023, crews from the Sidney Department of Fire and Emergency Services were dispatched to 1624 Holly Place, Sidney, Ohio for a structure fire.
While crews were responding, a well-involved structure fire was confirmed and a Box Alarm was struck recalling all off-duty personnel and Anna FD, Lockington FD, and Piqua FD.
On arrival, firefighters found a single-story, single-family residence with heavy fire throughout the attic and showing through the roof. The lone occupant and their dog had been assisted from the structure by a passerby and Sidney Police Officers prior to fire crews arriving.
Firefighters initiated a transitional attack to extinguish some of the fire from the exterior as crews prepared to enter the structure to search. Firefighters then entered the structure and completed a coordinated search and fire attack. Due to the large volume of fire in the attic and failing roof trusses, crews backed out of the structure after confirming there were no other occupants inside. An aggressive exterior attack was conducted with multiple hand lines and an aerial master stream. The fire was brought under control within 30 minutes of crews arriving and crews returned to the interior of the structure to complete overhaul and to check for any hidden fire.
The loss to the property, owned by Carol Leiss, is estimated at $120,000 and $50,000 to contents. The exposure to the east, 1620 Holly Place, owned by Caroline and Donald Hopkins suffered damage to the vinyl siding. The estimated damage to the exposure is $20,000.
Fort Loramie FD and Perry-Port-Salem EMS were called to assist with covering other calls in the city during the incident. The Sidney/Shelby County Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services provided canteen service to on scene personnel.
The lone occupant of the structure was transported by Sidney personnel with minor injuries. The passerby later sought treatment for minor injuries sustained while assisting the occupant from the structure.
CenterPoint Energy was called to the scene to secure the gas and AES to secure the power.
The fire is undetermined at this time and is under investigation by the Sidney Fire Department Fire Investigation Unit.