NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — The North Olmsted Fire Department and State Fire Marshal are investigating a fire at an apartment complex that broke out and left multiple people injured Sunday afternoon.
According to North Olmsted Police, the fire broke out on the fifth floor of The Westbury Apartments on Brookpark Road.
The fire then spread to at least the sixth and seventh floors, according to officials.
A total of six people were injured, including one officer on scene who was transported to a nearby hospital due to smoke inhalation.
Two others were taken for medical observation, and some cats died due to the fire, according to North Olmsted Mayor Nicole Daily Jones.
None of the six people, per Jones, suffered from any life-threatening injuries.
"The cause is under investigation. There are three apartments that are heavily damaged with many others damaged by smoke, soot, and water," Jones said.
North Olmsted Acting Fire Chief Matthew Peters confirmed 64 apartments on floors one through eight will need to be vacated Sunday.
Those tenants will be displaced at least until Monday morning, Peters said.
"There is significant water damage and existing ongoing hazards within the building. That is the reason we have to displace those residents at this time," Peters said. "We are still mitigating hazards right now."
Dozens of residents lined up on the side of the building Sunday night, though, as officials were escorting them one by one through the complex to retrieve critical possessions, such as medication.
"Sometime in the near future, then we will allow the other western half of the building to be reinhabited and residents to go back into the building," Peters said.
Tyler Thunberg, a sixteenth-floor resident who said family members were trapped inside the building as the inferno broke out, told us this now marks the third fire since he's lived in the complex. He said this latest fire is the second in the last year.
"It's not a bad apartment complex, not at all, really not at all. It's just when this happens, it's very unfortunate when this happens so many times. You just get in the rhythm, you hear the fire alarm, you go downstairs, make sure everybody's okay, see what’s going on," he said. "This should never happen."
Peters said while the fire alarm going off may be the norm for Westbury Apartment tenants, they take it seriously when the siren sounds.
"Unfortunately, any large community like this where we bring a lot of people together, we do have significant alarms and occasionally we have some false alarms. You have to treat those all with respect because you never know when an alarm could be an actual incident like today. Know your plan of exits, a place to rally outside and make sure you have your family, your loved ones together, and make sure that you have an idea of what you should do in case there is a fire," Peters said.
Luckily, Thunberg's apartment was not impacted.
He said his three cats, as well as his family, are safe.
Thunberg was panicked when he first heard the news of the fire, though.
"When my family's still in there, that's when it gets a little concerning," he said. "We got three cats. They're probably scared out of their minds."
While the fire didn't reach the sixteenth floor, he said his family, who were trapped inside, noted a strong smell of charcoal in their apartment.
"It's just a really bad charcoal smell and they have to stay on the balcony for like maybe 10-15 minutes a piece, get some nice fresh air. Not really fresh down here, though," Thunberg said.
Around 2:30 p.m., police posted on Facebook saying they had closed down Great Northern Boulevard northbound at Country Club Boulevard, and Brookpark Road eastbound at Great Northern Boulevard.
The roads have since reopened.
The Sonesta Simply Suites Cleveland North Olmsted Airport confirmed its offering available rooms to those impacted by the fire.
"Our hotel is known in the community for helping fire victims in this way. Local fire departments and The Red Cross are aware of this offer and we are always willing to help where we can," Katie Grenig, the general manager of Sonesta Simply Suites in North Olmsted, said. "Sonesta Simply Suites in North Olmsted is happy to offer displaced families of the Westbury a free night tonight in one of our studio suites this evening. Our hearts go out to them, and we can’t imagine all that they will have to deal."
The hotel is offering as many rooms as it has available.
"Having somewhere they can rest that’s close to their home while they begin to recover is the least we can do for our neighbors. We will work with these families and their insurance companies in the morning to determine possible longer term accommodations if needed," Grenig added.
Grenig told me they are currently accommodating 24 families and their pets.
"At this time for tonight we are now sold out and can not take anymore families," she added.
