The historic facility was previously damaged in a large fire in March 2023, said Dayton Fire Department Assistant Chief Brad French.
“Crews quickly deployed hose lines and extinguished the fire, which occurred in an area of the building that had been damaged in the 2023 fire,” he said.
Firefighters worked at the scene for about an hour. No injuries were reported.
Dayton police and DFD Fire Investigations Unit personnel arrested a juvenile in connection to the fire.
On March 26, 2023, a large fire was reported at the factory just before 2:30 p.m. Firefighters arrived to find heavy flames and spent more than 14 hours at the scene.
The fire significantly damaged multiple hangar buildings and parts of the roof.
The Wright brothers once built airplanes at the site. Two of the buildings are listed on the National Aviation Heritage Area’s website as the first factory to manufacture airplanes.
As of April, plans for the National Park Service to acquire the building were on hold as the extent of the fire’s damage was still being determined.
“The National Park Service is waiting on the structural analysis being contracted by the city of Dayton,” Kendell Thompson, superintendent of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park said previously. “It would be difficult to speculate on the property acquisition without the full knowledge as to the extent of damage or the repairs necessary to make the structures safe and viable for park or visitor use.”
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