CINCINNATI — A funeral home in West Price Hill has been leveled after a fire destroyed the structure Saturday morning.
Fire crews with the Cincinnati Fire Department responded to blaze around 7 a.m. at Meyer & Geiser Funeral home on 4989 Glenway Ave. At least 65 firefighters and 15 companies responded.
According to the fire department, the fire was difficult to battle because of the cold and how difficult it was for crews to access the flames.
This morning CIncinnati Fire Department responded to a working fire at 4989 Glenway Ave. at the Meyer and Geiser Funeral Home. Companies are battling both the cold and the blaze for a very difficult fire to access. Our members will be on the scene for some time. pic.twitter.com/A1IvVaogRG
— Cincy Fire & EMS (@CincyFireEMS) January 29, 2022
Tom Lakamp, operations chief with Cincinnati Fire Department, said when fire crews arrived, there was heavy fire in the back of the building.
"We tried to make an interior attack from multiple sides and just kept getting pushed out by heat,' Lakamp said.
Lakamp said that is when the fire department shifted to an defensive attack.
The owner of the funeral home and two people who lived on the second floor were inside when the fire started.
Meyer & Geiser Funeral Home is a “complete loss,” according to a Cincinnati Fire official. He told me no one was hurt (three people inside were able to get out). @WCPO pic.twitter.com/msmBnh5XzT
— Madeline Ottilie (@OttilieMadeline) January 29, 2022
The owner said he was working when the blaze broke out.
"He did a great job of getting everybody out of the building before we arrived," Lakamp said.
No one was injured in the fire, Lakamp said.
Lakamp said the building is a complete loss. The building is expected to be torn down sometime Saturday. No neighboring properties were damaged.
The fire department is asking people to avoid the area. Fire crews had to use a lot of water to battle the blaze and that water could freeze, causing for slippery conditions.
Lakamp also said the community should reach out and support the owner of the funeral home, along with the two people who lived on the second floor.
"You know, this business owner has been in this community for a really long time," Lakamp said.
Right now, there is no word on what started the fire.
