Fire Burns Solon Home, Smoke Alarm Helps Homeowner Escape

SOLON, OH — A house fire burned through a Ledge Hill Drive home on Monday morning, the Solon Fire Department announced.

At 7:30 a.m., firefighters were sent to a home in the 32000 block of Ledge Hill for a possible house fire. When they arrived, the homeowner was in the yard, smoke was pouring from the home and flames were jumping out of the basement. There was no one inside the house.

The home had a walk-up basement, so firefighters pulled a hose line and extinguished the blaze, Public Information Officer Lt. Brian DiRocco of Solon Fire.

An investigation into the origin of the fire is underway, but initial appearances suggest an electrical fire which started in the basement, DiRocco said. The fire did approximately $60,000 of damage, he estimated.

The home's smoke alarm helped save the homeowner's life, DiRocco said. She heard the alarm, opened the basement door and was greeted by heavy smoke. She escaped the house and called 911.

"This is the reason you make sure you have a working smoke alarm and you have an escape plan to get out of your house," DiRocco said. Fire can double in size every 30 seconds, he said, so a working alarm and an airtight plan must be in place to save lives.