Drug activity suspected cause of fire

No utilities connected at house that caught on fire, chief says

The Lorain Fire Department responded July 11 to a house fire that is believed to have been caused by drug activity. The vacant residence, 113 W. 28th St., had the entire second floor exposed to the fire with flames coming from the east and south windows, according to Lorain Fire Chief Jeff Fenn. Fenn said the home was boarded up but unsecured. “This is a place of frequent drug activity, and we have found evidence to support that,” he said. “That is likely the cause, but it is still under investigation. This belief is also based off the fact that the house had no utilities connected.” The fire department, which responded at 12:37 p.m., extinguished the fire by 1 p.m. It responded with four engines, a tower, command vehicle and 15 personnel, Fenn said. The house is valued at $26,760, according to the Lorain County Auditor’s website, with an estimated loss of $10,704.