Apartment fire that displaced 17 called suspicious

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - The cause of a fire that displaced 17 is being called suspicious by the Cincinnati Fire Department.

Seven adults and six children are among those left without homes after fire burned through the Aventura Apartment Complex on Colerain Avenue around 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Alex, a resident at the complex, and several neighbors say they heard a woman on the third floor start the fire by setting her bed on fire.

“It sucks that this is the building with all the kids in it,” Alex told FOX19 NOW. “So, that is really rough to handle, but, I mean, I hope she gets help.”

One woman said her son was in the bathroom and saw smoke. She said they began knocking on their neighbors’ doors and telling people to get out of the building.

Alex said, “As soon as the residents were aware because the second-floor alarms went off, you know, they were alerted and then the third floor went off and they all saw to evacuate.”

Around 60 firefighters and police responded to the fire.

Officials with the Cincinnati Fire Department said everyone in the building made it out and there were no injuries.

They estimate the fire caused $170,000 in damage.

The Red Cross is helping those who were displaced with temporary housing.

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