Two Newark firefighters hurt battling house fire

NEWARK – Two firefighters were injured battling a fire in a vacant house on Boyleston Avenue early Saturday morning, said Newark Division of Fire Chief Patrick Connor.

One man hurt his neck when hit by spray from a hose, while the second slipped on ice and injured his knee. The first was taken to Licking Memorial Hospital for evaluation. Both are off duty and "doing fine," Connor said.

The cause and origin of the fire at 263 Boyleston Ave. have not yet been determined, Connor said. The blaze is under investigation.

A neighbor reported the fire just before 12:30 a.m. Saturday. Firefighters contained it by 1:06 a.m., Connor said, but remained on the scene until 3:50 a.m. extinguishing flareups and cleaning up the site.

The two-story, wood-framed home suffered significant flame, smoke and water damage throughout, Connor said. Flames from the fire also melted siding on a neighbor's home, he said.

"It was pretty much a fully involved fire when we got there," Connor said.

Subzero temperatures and resulting ice hampered equipment and created hazardous conditions for firefighters, he said.

Sixteen firefighters from the Newark Division of Fire helped extinguished the blaze, Connor said. In addition, firefighters from Madison and Newark townships were placed on standby, he said.