Blaze hits 4 buildings in Bainbridge; no one hurt

One building was destroyed and three others were damaged by an early morning fire Tuesday in the Ross County village of Bainbridge.

Fire crews spent more than seven hours battling the blaze, Bainbridge Fire Capt. Paul Robinson said. No injuries were reported.

Multiple fire departments were called to the scene before 2:30 a.m. and needed until 10 a.m. to get the fire under control, he said.

Robinson said his department left the scene around noon.

He said 17 fire departments from Ross, Fayette, Pike and Highland counties converged on Bainbridge to battle the blaze.

Bainbridge asked other fire departments to transport water to the village of about 850 residents when the local supply proved insufficient, Robinson said.

The Ohio Department of Transportation closed Routes 50 and 41 as fire crews worked to control the blaze.

The four affected buildings held apartments, vacant spaces and a used-car dealership. The buildings are adjacent to one another on the 100 block of Main Street. The cause remains under investigation.

One of the buildings collapsed, and two others appeared gutted. Bricks and other debris covered several cars in the dealership’s parking lot. The wreckage of the collapsed building was still smoldering around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.