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Fire in duplex blankets neighborhood in smoke

Owner says refrigerator malfunction to blame; one firefighter injured.

Jim Witmer/Staff Photo Dayton firefighters respond to structure fire on Illinois Street at about 12:15 p.m. Tuesday.

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By Andy Sedlak, Staff Writer 9:09 PM Tuesday, February 21, 2012

DAYTON — Smoke billowed from a two-story duplex on Illinois Avenue on Tuesday afternoon following a fire the owner of the house said can be traced to a malfunctioning refrigerator.

Marvin Davis has owned 243 Illinois Ave. for 35 years. Only one side of the duplex is occupied.

Davis said the fire began on the vacant side. He said he plugged in a refrigerator Tuesday morning and it was running without any problems.

“I came back and (heard) the house was on fire,” he said. “I ran in there and it was the refrigerator on fire.”

Dayton fire officials have yet to confirm a cause.

“What we have to do is protect whatever is downwind,” said Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey Payne. “If that’s a house, then that’s where we’ll (work). We’re going to attack that fire head on.”

Payne said crews were able to prevent significant damage to neighboring houses.

One firefighter was taken to a hospital with a minor facial burn, Payne said, and one person suffered a minor burn to an ankle but turned down medical treatment.

There were no other injuries, although neighboring occupant Robert Milburn attempted to rescue his four cats.

He was removed from the residence by firefighters.

“If I thought I could even save one of them, I would have done it,” he said.

The Red Cross was on scene to assist. As of Tuesday evening, no damage estimate was available.

WHIO-TV contributed to this story.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-6983 or andrew.sedlak@coxohio.com.

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