Demolition underway at scene of 6-alarm fire in Camp Washington

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - A massive 6-alarm fire gutted a 5-story building early Saturday in Camp Washington, according to Chief Michael A. Washington with the Cincinnati Fire Department.

The building that caught fire is being demolished after the main body of the fire was knocked down, the chief told Fox 19.

The chief says crews were called just after 9 a.m. to the corner of Arlington Street and Colerain Avenue after several people reported the fire.

Once units arrived, they discovered heavy smoke from the large vacant structure.

Washington says that fire crews initially called a second alarm and attempted to gain access, but due to a large amount of smoke, the decision was made to pull out the units.

Once the chief arrived at the scene, Washington said he issued the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth alarms.

Washington says crews fought the fire “defensively and with caution” because there was a structure collapse.

“The hardest part was just really the extent of the fire. Very large building required a lot of firefighters to bring that fire under control. We had fire on five floors when we arrived on the scene, so just an extensive firefighters operation. A lot of people. A lot of water,” Assistant Chief Matt Flagler said.

There were power outages in the area as a result of the fire and several neighboring businesses suffered smoke and water damage, according to the chief.

The chief says there were no injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2023 WXIX. All rights reserved.