A fire in East Price Hill Saturday displaced 44 people, the Cincinnati Fire Department says, including 24 children.
The fire in an apartment complex on Grand Avenue required response from 67 firefighters and caused $75,000 worth of damage to the complex. CFD initially responded to a report of a fire in a dumpster a little after 8:30 a.m. Feb 22. That fire quickly spread to the building itself.
No injuries were reported after the blaze, but families aren't able to return to their homes immediately. Initially, the city was slated to set up a shelter at the nearby Price Hill Recreation Center. But the Greater Cincinnati-Dayton Region Red Cross is now working with 35 of the residents — many of them Central American immigrants. Some have been housed temporarily in hotel rooms until more permanent housing can be found, officials say.
“It’s difficult for the families, number one, because you have smoke damage, you have water damage," CFD Chief Roy Winston said. "So, it will take time for them to get back into their unit. It is difficult for families who are impacted like that."
Those who need help from the Red Cross should call 513-579-3000.
