ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A fire damaged three mobile homes and displaced 10 people Monday at the Town & Country Mobile Home Park in St. Clair Township, the Butler County Sheriff's Office said.
The fire was reported just before 9 p.m. at 2243 Hamilton Cleves Road/Ohio 128. When crews arrived, one home was fully engulfed in flames, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office said. The fire spread to a neighboring residence on one side of the home and caused minor siding and smoke damage to a residence on the other side.
All occupants evacuated the homes without injury. Three families were displaced, and the American Red Cross responded to assist them.
The owner of the primary residence said he was in the shower when he heard loud sparking noises, according to a report taken by deputies. The owner told investigators he saw sparks coming from the refrigerator outlet in the kitchen, and the fire appeared to spread through other electrical outlets. He said he quickly dressed, grabbed a bag and evacuated the home.
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Neighbor Michael Ferguson said he, his wife and two children were in the living room when the owner banged on his door and told him the unit next to his was on fire.
He said the flames coming from the kitchen window looked like a flamethrower.
"I just yelled for everybody to get out of the house," Ferguson said. "We started getting the cats, the pets that we had outside, got everyone outside."
Michael's family returned to the largely gutted mobile home Tuesday to attempt to recover any sentimental items they could.
He said all of the furniture was either smoke-damaged or waterlogged, but they were able to salvage some of their kids' memorabilia from a bedroom closet.
"We picked through some of the other stuff that was pictures and keepsakes that could be salvaged, but that's about all we were able to save," he said.
The Fergusons started this fundraiser to help them get necessities like clothes and toiletries.
Multiple fire departments responded to the blaze, including units from St. Clair, Ross, Hanover, Reily and Colerain townships, as well as New Miami and Hamilton. Eight sheriff's deputies and a Ross Township police officer also assisted.
Ohio 128 was closed in both directions at 9:40 p.m. Deputies cleared the scene at 10:31 p.m., according to the sheriff's office.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Butler County Fire Investigators Team, the St. Clair Township Fire Department said.
The Journal-News is a media partner of WCPO 9 News.
