Around 1 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19 a fire broke out at 12 W. Chestnut. A passerby dialed 9-1-1 at 1:05, according to Oxford dispatchers. The first police officer was on the scene by 1:07. The first of 17 fire units to respond was en route at 1:09 and on the scene at 1:10.
Oxford Fire Chief John Detherage said nobody was in the house, a rental property, at the time of the fire. Detherage said he thought a family lived in the house, but could not confirm this. Damage was concentrated in the second floor and attic, according to Detherage.
As first responders rushed to the scene, Oxford Dispatch sent out a request for mutual aid from other jurisdictions. Fire departments responding included Oxford City and Township, Milford Township, Reilly Township, Ross Township and Hanover Township.
"Given the time of night, we didn't know if people were in the building," Detherage said. "We wanted to make sure we have plenty of help [just in case.]"
Detherage said the cause of the fire is still undetermined.
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