WAPAKONETA, Ohio — A fire at a Wapakoneta home late Sunday claimed the lives of two people inside. Firefighters were called to 409 Park Street, just south of downtown, at 10:13 p.m., for a report of a structure fire with three people possibly trapped inside.
When they arrived, heavy smoke and flames were coming from the rear of the two-story house. They immediately transitioned to an offensive attack and began a primary search of the residence. Crews located two men inside on the first floor — one of whom used a motorized scooter. Both had been overcome by smoke.
The victims were rushed to Lima-area hospitals, where they were pronounced dead a short time later. The identities of the men have not been released; however, fire officials said they were occupants of the home and were believed to be 'middle-aged to older.'
Damage to the home was extensive. "It did extend up into the second floor and up into the attic of the home. We continue to pull ceiling, provide ventilation, check for further extension," said Atrayu Wolter, a firefighter and paramedic for the Wapakoneta Fire Department. "There was involvement on each floor of the residence. Some parts of the house obviously have more involvement as far as fire than others."
Wolter was unsure if the home had any working smoke detectors. He added that, to his recollection, this is the first fatal fire in Wapakoneta in 'many years.'
Crews remained on the scene for several hours. An investigator from the State Fire Marshal's Office responded to the hospitals and the scene early Monday morning to work with the Wapakoneta Fire Department to help determine the cause of the blaze.
First responders from Botkins, Buckland, St. Johns, St. Marys, and Uniopolis, as well as officers and deputies from the Wapakoneta Police Department and the Auglaize County Sheriff's Office, assisted Wapakoneta fire crews at the scene.
