Beaver Township house fire leaves homeowner hospitalized

BEAVER TWP., Ohio - A road is blocked off and a man is hospitalized after a house fire on Friday afternoon.

Several fire departments from surrounding communities were called to the home at 2880 Renkenberger Road.

When crews arrived, the upper floor of the home was engulfed in flames. Tanker trucks had to bring in water to stop the blaze because there was no hydrant available.

Fire chief Russ Osborne says the fire was very difficult to put out, but his men did an excellent job. However, the crew faced some unique challenges while putting out the fire. 

"It was a difficult fire to fight because the house is basically shaped just like an igloo," Osborne says. "We had to break out skylights to bust out some of the heat, which also contributed to the heat damage in the house. The water we put on inside ran right downstairs."

The structural integrity of the home, he says, remained unharmed.

The homeowner's wife told the fire department that her husband went in to the house two separate times to try to stop the flames, but she went outside as soon as she saw the smoke. 

The homeowner was taken to Salem Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. There are no estimated damage costs at this time, and the cause of the fire is still being investigated.