Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s office and the Ironton Fire Department have traced the cause of Friday’s fire at the Baker’s Dozen doughnut shop building to an upstairs apartment.

Saturday, July 29, 2000

Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s office and the Ironton Fire Department have traced the cause of Friday’s fire at the Baker’s Dozen doughnut shop building to an upstairs apartment.

Clues from the fire led officials to conclude the fire started in a second-floor apartment above the doughnut shop.

Firefighters were dispatched to the 408 S. Second St. building after a Lawrence County 911 call was received at 1:15 a.m. reporting the flames.

According to investigators’ reports, the fire began in an apartment on the second floor and spread through the apartments and down to the doughnut shop below, IFD Capt. Craig Thomas said.

"After we completed the investigation, we found a short circuit in a receptacle upstairs in a rear apartment," Thomas said. "From the investigation, we were able to determine that the fire started in a kitchen in one of the rear apartments, then traveled through the rest of the building."

Five firefighters from the Ironton station first responded to the scene followed by 15 others, IFD Capt. Steve Lewis said.

"From an assessment of the fire, we knew we were going to need more help to control the fire," Lewis said. "We called all off-duty members of the department out to aid in the situation. We later decided additional aid from Coal Grove was going to be needed. Ironton had a total of 15 personnel on the scene and Coal Grove provided mutual aid with 10 firefighters."

Apartment tenants escaped the fire without injury. One firefighter, however, was hospitalized for exhaustion, Lewis said.

"When crews first arrived on the scene, flames were shooting through the roof of the apartments," Thomas said. "Tim Runyon was in the back of the apartments fighting the fire when he realized he was having some complications. He stopped what he was doing and came around to the front of the building. When he got to the street, he collapsed. SEOEMS (Southeast Ohio Emergency Medical Service) transported him to (Our Lady of) Bellefonte Hospital, where he was treated. He was later released and seems to be doing fine now."

Officials from the Upper Township Volunteer Fire Department were called to man the firehouse as a backup for Ironton’s crew. The Red Cross also responded to assist fire victims, Lewis said.