Was it a flashover or a backdraft? Officials aren't sure yet. Both are potentially deadly, and luck was with the injured men Wednesday night.
9News Team Coverage:
Reported by: Tom McKee, Jay Warren, Bill Price, Lance Barry, Dennis Janson
Photographed by: Tyson Thorp, Jason Garrison, Greg Singleton, Jeremy Glover, Phil Dreschler, Mike Mattingly, Mark Slaughter, Sean Dunster, Anthony Mirones
A three-alarm fire at the historic Kroger farm burned Wednesday evening, putting an Indian Hill family out of their house and gutting a multi-million dollar renovation project.
And at one point, firefighters were reported trapped in the fire – and not all firefighters were accounted for.
The home on Cunningham Road is destroyed.
Eight people fighting those flames were also injured.
But the good news is that no person lost their life.
Firefighters arrived at the scene since around 7:00 p.m. and will remain there most of the night, putting out hot spots.
Fire crews from the Madeira-Indian Hill fire department, as well as departments from virtually every community surrounding Indian Hill, responded to try to extinguish the blaze.
It was a tough battle, made even tougher by the knowledge that fellow firefighters had to be hospitalized.
The first alarm was sounded around 6:45 p.m., but by the time firefighters arrived, the blaze had a head start on them in attic of the three-story home.
An aggressive interior attack was launched, but trouble quickly developed.
Five Madeira-Indian Hill firefighters and one from the Loveland-Symmes fire department were caught in the inferno.
They quickly called a "Mayday" and got themselves out of harm's way, but not before being burned.
Was it a flashover or a backdraft? Officials aren't sure yet.
A flashover occurs when a confined space gets so hot that everything burns – even the smoke.
A backdraft occurs when a fire in a confined space gets a jolt of fresh air and explodes.
Both are potentially deadly, and luck was with the injured men Wednesday night.
9News reporter Tom McKee says he has been in a flashover simulator and temperatures can get up over 1,000 degrees.
There were some scary moments though while a "Personnel Accountability Report" was done to make sure everyone was out of the house.
A head count proved that nobody was left inside.
There was a seventh injury.
A firefighter from Sycamore Township injured his shoulder moving hoses around the building.
Firefighters had to stretch hoses 1,000 feet to Cunningham Road to get enough water to fight the fire.
Paramedics transported some of the injured firefighters to Bethesda North and Jewish Kenwood hospitals.
At least two firefighters from the Madeira-Indian Hill fire department were admitted to Bethesda North for treatment.
By 11 p.m. Wednesday night, the hospital listed the injured firefighters in good, and stable, condition in the emergency room.
It's believed the firefighters there are most likely suffering less severe injuries than the other firefighters, who were taken by ambulance or by Air Care helicopter to the trauma center at University Hospital.
However, they won't be staying long at Bethesda North.
Plans are underway to move the two firefighters to University Hospital for more specialized burn treatment and recovery.
At least five firefighters were taken to University Hospital. The range of the burns go from first to third degree.
Among them are a father and a son.
One of the firefighters developed breathing problems and is also being treated there.
9News was told that the firefighters were in stable condition and were alert – and that none needed surgery.
The emergency room physician told 9News that one of the firefighters could be released as early as Thursday. The others in a few days.
Some of the firefighters, whose ages range from their 20s to 50s, described to the doctor what they faced inside the house.
"I spoke with some of the firefighters who were on the second floor of the house," said Dr. Stewart Wright, of University Hospital. "They sensed that a flashover was coming, so they all dove for the floor – and this fire ball went through the house – and they all exited by various means out the windows, doors, et cetera."
"They all were burned in the initial flash, though none of them suffered any blast injuries that we can tell," said Dr. Wright.
9News was told that family and friends are with the injured firefighters.
The first and second degree burns are expected to heal without scaring, but the third degree burns will need help.
All were reported to be in stable and fair condition.
Despite the devastating damage to his property this evening, the homeowner did express his concern about the firefighters to 9News – and about what he experienced inside his home as the flames began to build.
He says the fire was fast – and intense – and quickly ripped through a home valued at more than $5 million.
Jim Jaeger didn't have to be told how extensive the damage was to his estate. One look at it, said it all.
It was during an evening dinner with his wife Nancy that a heat alarm went off inside their home.
"I looked at the panel, and it said this was a fire on the third floor attic," said Jaeger.
He ran upstairs and when he got there, he quickly found there was nothing he could do.
"It took 5-10 seconds," said Jaeger. "The room that had no smoke in it, was completely full of smoke."
At that point, he and his wife fled the flames. Moments later, firefighters would also be turned back.
Jaeger says he heard a "whoosh," the windows were blown out and he believes that's when the firefighters were injured.
As those injured firefighters were being treated at the scene and others working to put out the flames, the historical significance of the home could for the first time be thought of.
The property built in 1928 belonged to the supermarket mogul Kroger family for decades.
"It's kind of a jewel," said Tom Ackerman, Jaeger's neighbor. "Not only has it been here for so long, but when you look at the history of the family, Kroger is an anchor in our community."
9News was told Jaeger is the former president of a company by the name of Cincinnati Microwave, which produces components that are widely used in the production of radar detectors for cars.
Jaeger told 9News that the only thing he feels he truly lost was a cat.
And when he says he's just not sure where he is going to stay now, he truly means it.
The damage there is that extensive.
