Cincinnati firefighters said a resident refused to leave despite the building being on fire

CINCINNATI - Cincinnati firefighters had more than just a blaze to battle Sunday morning after a resident inside a Mt. Washington apartment refused to leave the burning building right away.

At 8:37 a.m., firefighters were called to the Salvador Point apartments at the intersection of Salvador and Roxbury Streets for reports of smoke and flames showing from the side of a three-story apartment building.

When rescuers arrived on scene, heavy smoke was seen coming from the lower portion of the building near a basement laundry room. "When I got here, it was vaguely smoke rolling out of the bottom. It quickly escalated but they got it under control pretty fast," said Richard Roselli, a witness. "Cincinnati firefighters doing their job again."

Firefighters rescued one man from a third floor apartment by an aerial ladder and assisted six other residents out of the building.
District Chief Thomas Parker said one resident refused to exit the building. "There was one person who refused to leave and he was forced out by the fire company," said Parker with the Cincinnati Fire Department. "It's pretty rare but it has happened before."

Once the fire was out, police and fire had to call for salt trucks to respond to the area because of icy road conditions.

A Metro bus was on scene to keep residents from being out in the frigid cold.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Firefighters estimate damage at $30,000.