Heavy fire, smoke showing from building in Hamilton

Firefighters are investigating a Sunday morning fire that happened at a vacant building located on Hamilton’s north end.

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Fire Chief Mark Mercer said firefighters were summoned about 8:30 a.m. about a report of smoke in the air.

He said the fire department was familiar with the two-story brick building that had been boarded up and has structural problems. Mercer said that building had been empty for some time.

Mercer said the building is on their “Do Not Enter” in which firefighters will not go into fight the blaze but will fight it from the outside to protect other adjacent properties. He said it’s been “a long-standing practice” to avoid entering these buildings for firefighter safety and that most fire departments have similar policies.

“This is one we knew had structural problems and its not occupied so the fire department doesn’t enter these buildings,” Mercer said. “We want to take care of the safety of our workers while they’re here and our fire crews on the scene and still take care of putting that fire out before it demolishes the building or spreads to the building next door.

Firefighters from Liberty and Fairfield townships assisted Hamilton fireghters in putting the fire out and keep from damaging the Dabbelt’s Groceries & Meats market next door.

A Liberty Township ladder truck was spraying water into the attic area at the rear of the building putting out hot spots as Hamilton and Fairfield Twp. firefighters were on the market’s roof attacking the fire from that side of the burning building with water.

Mercer said fire crews did a great job in stopping the fire, kept it from spreading and kept the building from collapsing to protect the market next door.

He said the cause of the fire had not been determined and there were no injuries reported.