3 injured in Franklin fire

The resident in one of the units was banging on the door of the adjoining unit to wake elderly neighbors to get them out of the two-story wood structure.

Jessie Hipsher of 519 Anderson St. got his wife Jody and her brother Howard Cramer out of the burning structure as well as banging on his neighbor’s door in the adjoining unit at 517 Anderson St. to get those three people out to safety with the clothes on their backs.

Hipsher’s wife and brother in law were taken to the Kettering Franklin Emergency Room to be treated and both were transferred to Kettering Medical Center.

“He got everyone out of the house,” said Jeff Morris who lived in the next structure at 515 Anderson St., about 1.5 feet from the burning duplex structure. unit. “He’s the one that saved everybody.”

Morris also said the firefighters “did an awesome job” in preventing the fire from spreading to his and other neighboring structures. He had lived in his home for about 10 years.

While he hadn’t been inside his home, Morris imagined there would be smoke and water damage.

Another neighbor a few doors down at 511 Anderson St., Aaron Richards said he was concerned about the fire spreading to his home. He said they couldn’t leave because of all the fire hoses across the sidewalk.

One dog was reported to have perished in the blaze. A firefighter was a bit overexerted and transported for medical attention but returned back to the scene, according to Franklin Fire Chief Jonathan Westendorf.

Westendorf said firefighters from Franklin, Middletown, Franklin Twp., Carlisle and the Joint Emergency Medical Services worked to get the fire put out only to see it restart again.

Hipsher, who lived there for about 20 years, said the fire started after an old radio shorted out in the front room of his home.

Westendorf said the house was a total loss and “the entire core of the structure was completely burned out and that the walls were not safe. He said the structure would be demolished later on Sunday for the protection of the community.

Franklin Fire Lt. Mike Perry said the Warren County Fire Investigation Team will be listing the fire as accidental/undetermined origin. He said arson was not suspected.

After the gas line was disconnected from the structure, city officials had the structure demolished to protect the safety of the community.

The Red Cross were assisting the residents who were displaced by the fire.