Lorain County fire departments responded to a series of unrelated fire incidents Sunday, June 8, including a building fire at the former US Steel property and a propane tank explosion in Amherst. Emergency crews from multiple jurisdictions were dispatched throughout the day as reports came in from across the region.
Around 1:45 p.m. Sunday afternoon, Amherst Fire Department responded to the 46000 block of Cooper Foster Park Road in Amherst following a propane tank explosion. Amherst Police confirmed the fire was out on arrival; however, the tank continued to release gas, requiring careful monitoring. Oberlin and South Amherst fire departments were initially dispatched as mutual aid but were later canceled once Amherst crews had the situation under control.
Later Sunday evening, emergency responders were called to a vehicle fire on eastbound State Route 2 between Oak Point Road and State Route 58. The incident occurred around 7 p.m., causing traffic to be reduced to a single lane while crews extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported, and traffic delays continued while the scene was cleared.
Near the end of the day, just before 10 p.m., Lorain firefighters were dispatched to two separate fire scenes. First, crews arrived at a vacant, boarded-up home in the 1000 block of West 18th Street, where the fire was quickly knocked down. No one was inside the home. Shortly afterward, firefighters responded to the former US Steel property near East 21st Street and the adjacent access road after reports of thick black smoke.
Firefighters found a fully involved fire near the old guard shack on the property. Access was limited, and bolt cutters were used to open a locked gate. Due to the intensity of the fire and safety concerns, crews fought the blaze from outside the building rather than entering it. Command confirmed that electric utilities had been disconnected. Propane tanks used for tow motors inside the structure presented additional hazards. The fire was mostly knocked down within the hour as crews searched for hot spots to prevent rekindling.
No injuries were reported in any of the incidents. Authorities are investigating the causes of the fires and explosion.