ELYRIA, Ohio — For the first time in nearly two decades, Elyria’s southeast side will have a dedicated fire engine company responding. This week, the fire department reinstated Engine 2 to serve the rapidly growing section of the city.
City leaders say the change is already making a positive difference.
Thursday evening, the new Engine 2 company joined a call for a large house fire on Marseilles Ave., north of Sycamore St.
RELATED: Large house fire damages two homes in Elyria
“[I saw] nothing but smoke, just full of smoke – white, black, brown – it was awful,” said neighbor Kathy King.
She recalled hearing a series of explosions before she saw the smoke from the home two doors down.
“It did sound like fireworks after that. ‘Pew Pew!’ like the fireworks at the Fourth of July,” she said.
Investigators said the explosions likely came from propane tanks in the home’s backyard. Flames from that house extended to a neighbor’s car on one side and began melting the siding on the other side.
King said her neighbor called to warn her about the growing fire.
“He said, ‘You should get out because I think it might be coming your way.’ He wasn’t wrong,” she said. “I was very upset. I really was. I was very worried and concerned.”
Investigators said two teenagers escaped the house fire unharmed and no other injuries were reported. Elyria Police said two women from the house were arrested at the scene for unrelated warrants.
Elyria Fire Chief Joe Pronesti praised the responding crews for tackling the difficult scene.
“You just have your hands full. You have to make sure you have enough water, you have to coordinate,” he explained. “The first-in crew did a phenomenal job knocking down the fire and protecting the house next door.”
Pronesti said the debut of Engine 2 was an asset during Wednesday’s firefight.
“Last night, the commander on scene had an extra crew. And when they arrived on Marseilles, they were able to focus not only on the fire building, but the exposures,” he said. “I think the people that lived there next door appreciated that extra engine company.”
Engine 2 was taken out of commission in 2006 when the city closed one of the four fire stations and cut close to 20 firefighters from the department.
“I never thought I’d see it again, never thought I’d see our department be at these levels,” the chief said.
He explained the department has been slowly rebuilding its staffing levels. He said thanks to collaboration between the current city administration and the firefighters' union, the department is fully staffed and Engine 2 is back in service. A FEMA Assistance to Firefighters grant will pay the salaries of three firefighters for three years.
Engine 2 is currently operating out of Station 1, but will be the dedicated response for southeast Elyria. The area of the city is expected to grow dramatically in the coming years with planned housing and retail developments.
“Firefighting is what we call local. And you have to gear your fire services, protections based on your hazards. And that’s what we’ve been fighting to get back to,” Pronesti said.
He explained the department was fielding about 3,800 calls in 2006 when Engine 2 was decommissioned. He expects the call volume to surpass 7,000 this year.
Neighbors on Marseille Ave told News 5 they were grateful for the swift and effective response on Wednesday night, and they appreciate the city’s investment in safety services.
“I think the more first responders we have, the better we are, the better off we are,” said King.
