The Nelsonville Division of Fire responded to a structure fire at 560 Poplar Street in Nelsonville at 2:53 am Saturday morning. On arrival firefighters found a two story house with heavy smoke coming from the second floor and roof. Firefighters initiated aggressive interior operations including search and rescue and fire attack. Firefighters battled heavy smoke and fire conditions and discovered the fire was burning in the space between the first and second floors of the structure. Firefighters were eventually able to contain and extinguish the fire,
The house is a student rental property owned by Barbara Wyckoff of Logan, Ohio. The five foreign students from Hocking College that rented rooms in the house escaped without injury and are staying with friends. Damage to the structure has caused firefighters to list the house as a total loss. The Athens County Auditor’s website has the structure valued at $47,870.
Firefighters are still trying to determine the exact cause of the fire. Nelsonville firefighters were assisted by firefighters from York Township Fire Department.
All fire department units were clear of the scene by 7:05 am. As more information becomes available it will be released.
City of Nelsonville, Ohio Information Blog 