Newark firefighters battle blaze in attic of historic downtown Avalon building apartments

Nathaniel Shuda and Kent Mallett, Newark Advocate
Updated ·2 min read
Newark Fire Department crews battle a blaze Saturday in the attic of the Avalon Apartments, 86 W. Main St., at North Fifth Street, in downtown Newark.
Newark Fire Department crews battle a blaze Saturday in the attic of the Avalon Apartments, 86 W. Main St., at North Fifth Street, in downtown Newark.

A historic building in downtown Newark sustained significant damage, including a collapsed roof, during a two-alarm fire late Saturday morning.

Twenty units from multiple agencies, including the Newark Fire Department, as well as those from Granville and Heath, responded about 10:30 a.m. Saturday after a fire alarm sounded in an upstairs apartment at the Avalon Apartments, 86 W. Main St., at North Fifth Street, Assistant Fire Chief Neal Murphy told The Advocate.

Authorities evacuated all residents from the building, and the Red Cross set up a shelter at the Licking County Library across the street, Murphy said. The Red Cross will work with affected residents.

"It'll be a while to determine the cause," Murphy said. "The main concern is the structural integrity of the building. That's going to slow down our investigation."

There was a report of an attic fan on fire, but when firefighters arrived, all they could see was an attic fire, he said.

"The roof collapsed as we were actively fighting the fire," Murphy said. "After we saw the progression in the attic, we pulled crews out of the building, and that's when it breached.

"They felt they were making good progress, but still heavy smoke, which means a hidden fire we couldn't see."

A crowd of onlookers gather as crews from the Newark Fire Department battle a blaze Saturday in the attic of the Avalon Apartments, 86 W. Main St., at North Fifth Street, in downtown Newark.
A crowd of onlookers gather as crews from the Newark Fire Department battle a blaze Saturday in the attic of the Avalon Apartments, 86 W. Main St., at North Fifth Street, in downtown Newark.

No firefighters or tenants were injured, Murphy said. As of Saturday afternoon, it was unknown how much the fire spread to other floors.

There will be a public announcement when the residents will be able to return to at least obtain personal belongings, but it probably won't be fore another day or two at least, Murphy said.

The Avalon Apartments is an affordable housing complex for older adults and families that was purchased and renovated by the LEADS Community Action Agency and now managed by RLJ Management Inc.

nshuda@newarkadvocate.com

@NathanielShuda

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Newark firefighters respond to fire at Avalon building apartments