The
Paulding Fire Department and EMS were paged out to a possible apartment
fire above the old Three Brothers Restaurant, at 10:03 pm. Paulding
Police arrived the on scene to smoke coming from the second floor.
Residents in other apartments were evacuated from the two-story
structure. Automatic aid from Antwerp and Payne Fire Departments
assisted at the scene. The fire was contained to the one apartment, but
smoke and water damage occurred in some of the other apartments. One of
the residents was transported to the Paulding County Hospital for smoke
inhalation. The person’s name is not being released at this time. The
other displaced residents are either being cared for by the Red Cross or
staying with friends.
The damage to the one apartment was
substantial, but a dollar amount or cause of the fire is known at this
time, it remains under investigation. A total of 22 firefighters from
the three fire departments were on the scene for over two-and-a-half
hours. Traffic was detoured around the courthouse square due to 5”
supply hose laid from the hydrant at the corner of Williams and Perry
St. Paulding EMS had both squads on the scene following the transport of
the resident to the ER. The Van Wert CERT assisted at the scene, as did
the Paulding County EMA. This was the first fire for the Paulding
Firefighters to use their replacement aerial ladder truck. Ironically,
the firefighters were training on the aerial ladder truck earlier in the
evening.
(Information courtesy of Paulding County Emergency Management Agency)