JimD 3,345 #1 Posted March 23, 2014 destroyed by a massive fire in Garrettsville, Ohio this afternoon. Miller Lawn and Garden, along with several other businesses in the downtown historical section of Garrettsville was lost to an enormous fire today. http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/2014/03/22/garrettsville-fire-main-street/6737031/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
can whlvr 993 #2 Posted March 23, 2014 what a shame,hope no one was hurt 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,264 #3 Posted March 23, 2014 I am getting a little sick of fires.... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tankman 3,516 #4 Posted March 23, 2014 Awful news. Hope all are well. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dodgemike 52 #5 Posted March 23, 2014 I live next county over. No injuries reported. It was a quaint little town and some of the buildings are from the 1800's. I had no idea there was a WH dealer there. Maybe I should get smart enough to ask some members here. My dad bought what we think was the last WH at the little shop in our town. I know I bought the last set of wheelweights. The poor old owner sold everything got.cancer and passed away. Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Martin 2,131 #6 Posted March 23, 2014 thats too bad Jim.... i can honestly say you didn't leave me laughin' with that post........ 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky-(Admin) 21,077 #7 Posted March 23, 2014 Its sad news....and with no new dealerships in the future its even sadder. Glad to hear of no injuries. Mike.......... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JimD 3,345 #8 Posted March 23, 2014 (edited) This whole end of town on Main St. is a very historical place. These buildings are from the early to mid 1800's. In the picture below, the store front on the left with the bench in front and the flames coming through the front was Miller Lawn and Garden, the dealer that sold Wheel Horse tractors from it's beginning till shortly before Wheel Horse folded. They had some old Wheel Horse memorabilia in the store as well. I remember one of those red folding "director" style chairs and they once showed me what I believe was probably a one of a kind Wheel Horse pocket knife display in a lock box showcase that had only one knife missing that had been sold long ago. I tried to buy it from them but she wanted to get an appraisal first and I never followed up to see if she had a price. Sadly I'm sure it was destroyed unless she sold it to someone prior to this fire. I wish I had asked to take a picture of them. I had often wanted to write a story about their dealership for Redsquare but never got around to asking them about it. I hope they reopen their store somewhere in town to keep their history in the village alive. Edited March 23, 2014 by JimD 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neil 2,408 #9 Posted March 23, 2014 That is really tragic tp lose a building of that age . even more tragic to lose another dealership . Thanx for the pics Jim 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JimD 3,345 #10 Posted March 23, 2014 (edited) This historical picture shows how it looked in the late 1800's against what it looks like after the fire... and the video below shows more of how things have looked over the years, and how we are already bouncing back! Edited March 23, 2014 by JimD Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 40,739 #11 Posted March 23, 2014 (edited) Why do I see a lack of fire fighting eq.? We just had a big fire a villiage south of me a week with the same size bldgs. and I counted 4 ladder trucks among all of the other equipment in the pics I saw. We had at least 17 tankers involved with 2 portable ponds set up. Edited March 23, 2014 by squonk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseFixer 2,012 #12 Posted March 23, 2014 Bad News Jim! Hate to hear that. Do you think they will rebuild? ~Duke Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JimD 3,345 #13 Posted March 23, 2014 Bob, there has been no word from the business owners as to whether they will rebuild. I guess it's just too early to think about it while they are contemplating their loss. Squonk, first you have to understand that we are a small rural town surrounded by other small rural towns and townships. Each fire department has mutual aid agreements with several other neighboring departments close by. All of those departments responded with most everything they have, leaving their own communities largely unprotected. What was amazing was the response from communities that have no mutual aid agreement with Garrettsville. In all 34 fire departments responded with trucks and firefighters to battle the blaze. Lack of equipment? I don't think so. Tanker shuttle... Portable ponds... Ladder trucks... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dodgemike 52 #14 Posted March 23, 2014 Squonk; 15 departments responded. Two were shuttling water and one big pumper pulled water from the river. The main st. there is very narrow two lanes. Rumor has it there was a co. doing hot tar on the roof. I wouldnt want to be that outfit! I know it sounds like I am defending them but many of my friends are fireman and the TV pictures really dont show the entire effort. Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KATO 115 #15 Posted March 23, 2014 What a shame to see those old buildings destroyed...let alone those peoples lively hoods we have had more than a few large fires in local communities here in the last few years. Im startin to wonder if its not the new sign of rebellion or something 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dodgemike 52 #16 Posted March 23, 2014 Sorry , Jims post wasnt there when I started mine. Suffice to say there was a massive effort to surround and drown. Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 40,739 #17 Posted March 23, 2014 My main question was by the pics posted I didn't see much. I wasn't implying there was a small response. The fire here was in a village offed than 1000 people And the buildings were surrounded. We had company's here from almost 40 miles away. I didn't Mean to offend anyone. It just looked stange from what I saw a week ago. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JimD 3,345 #18 Posted March 23, 2014 Mike, no offense taken. I assume you saw the views from the first pics I posted which wasn't a good view of all that was going on. Much of the equipment was staged on two other streets that weren't in view from the Main St. vantage point. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackhammer 546 #19 Posted March 23, 2014 Any way you look at it , for a small town that is devastating. Without any injury or deaths in those upper floors I think everyone was very fortunate. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 40,739 #20 Posted March 23, 2014 Here's some pics and video of the Ovid N.Y. fire. about half of the responding equipment went roaring by my house and my house is less than 30 feet from the highway! video has propane tanks exploding! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KC9KAS 4,741 #21 Posted March 23, 2014 Very sad to see this happen to anyone. Glad there weren't any injuries. In 1984 we lost a furniture factory to fire. We had around 20 fire departments assisting in one form or another. One department had a 6" pump at the city lake about 1/4 mile from the fire and kept us supplied with water, but a furniture factory without sprinklers is way to great of a fireload to save. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JC 1965 1,530 #22 Posted March 23, 2014 Really sorry to hear this news Jim. Glad no one was hurt. Last night my wife and I were watching the 11 pm local news and they did a report about the fire. When they mentioned that it was in Garrettsville Ohio I told my wife I thought one of the Red Square members lived there. I tried to think who it was and then remembered it was you. Hope the businesses can rebuild. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #23 Posted March 23, 2014 jim that is terrible.sorry to hear this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireman 1,021 #24 Posted March 23, 2014 That just sucks. Not for nothing but the fire fighter in the third pic down is crazy for standing were he is. It looks like that building is about to collapse out into the street. Good way to not go home after the fire! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hm12460 53 #25 Posted March 23, 2014 Very tragic loss for the owners and community. Glad to hear no one was hurt. What makes it especially tragic is the loss due to someone's negligence. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites