Firefighters use power saws to battle 1-alarm blaze in OTR

CINCINNATI - Cincinnati firefighters were forced to use power saws Wednesday evening in their battle against a one-alarm blaze in Over-the-Rhine.

An on-duty Cincinnati police officer notified emergency dispatch around 7:30 p.m. that heavy smoke was coming from the front of a store located at 163 E. McMicken Avenue.

Due to a heavy security door over the front of the two-story building, fire crews were forced to use power saws to gain access to the building. Once inside the building, firefighters managed to contain the blaze in approximately 15 minutes.

Both the first and second floors of the building were unoccupied at the time of the fire.

No injuries to firefighters or civilians were reported.

Damage to the building is estimated at $30,000.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

View Larger Map