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Chief says officer and firefighters acted quickly; state fire marshal lists origin as undetermined
Summary
After public concern, Chief Carousel reviewed body-camera and fire department timelines for a residential fire at 620 North Nickelplate: an officer attempted initial extinguishment and then assisted the occupant; the state fire marshal placed origin near the chimney but ruled the cause undetermined.
The Louisville Police Department and the fire department provided a joint briefing April 20 after public questions about response to a residential fire on North Nickelplate.
Chief Carousel said Lieutenant Steed arrived after dispatch, attempted to put out the fire with a handheld extinguisher, ensured the occupant (Kathy Pew) was safely away from the home and offered his personal phone so she could call family. The chief said Steed updated arriving firefighters and that the officer’s actions were intended to protect the occupant until crews took over.
Fire department personnel reviewed dispatch and response times: the dispatch center (Stark County) reported 22 seconds between call information and tone out, an officer was en route in about 3 minutes and 50 seconds after tone out, the engine was en route about five minutes after tone and the truck arrived on scene with water applied within nine minutes. Fire staff described wind-driven conditions (about 20 mph winds) that accelerated exterior fire spread and explained that an initial “knockdown” of the first-floor fire allowed crews to proceed to the second floor.
The state fire marshal completed an investigation and determined the fire origin was in the fireplace/chimney area but could not determine a specific cause: “the origin is in the fireplace area around the chimney somewhere, but they’re not going to pinpoint exactly what the cause was,” the chief said. Fire officials also scheduled a meeting with the management of a nearby three-story residential building to discuss fire safety and resident preparedness.
Council members thanked first responders for their work; staff noted a follow-up safety meeting (Thursday at 10:30 a.m.) with the building’s manager and residents and asked citizens to direct additional concerns to fire prevention staff.
