2 children escape from fire in apartment

Pair taken to hospital for evaluation

Two children were taken to the hospital after escaping an apartment fire in Elyria.

At about 4:45 p.m. on Oct. 24 units responded to the College Park apartments in the 100 block of College Park drive where one unit was completely engulfed.

According to Captain Kevin Szabo of the Elyria Fire Department, the said the blaze was mostly contained to one unit with the adjoining apartment sustaining some smoke damage.

“They stretched an attack line and started to work on the exterior just because there was so much fire there they couldn’t make an advance until we got some more crews here,” Szabo said.

“We were told later on that there might be someone outside. We later found out that both the children made it out. One escaped through a second-floor window and the other one through somewhere on the first floor.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation but excessive wind is believed to be a contributing factor. Preliminary estimates indicate the fire resulted in about $100,000 in damage.

“There was some extension to different areas and the walls and stuff, but it can all be repaired,” Szabo said.

Szabo said the two children were transported to hospital for evaluation.

Mutual aid assistance was provided by Sheffield Village Fire Department.

KEVIN MARTIN — THE MORNING JOURNAL Elyria firefighters investigate a structure fire at the College Park Apartments in the 100 block of College Park Drive in Elyria. The cause of the fire remains under investigation and initial estimates place the damage at around $100,000.

KEVIN MARTIN — THE MORNING JOURNAL An Elyria firefighter rescues a cat on Oct. 24 following a fire at the College Park Apartments