From the Sandusky Register…
SANDUSKY
Sandusky fire investigators are still trying to pinpoint the cause of Tuesday’s fire in a Cedar Point service building.
It appears the fire may have been nothing more than accidental, but investigators still want to determine the precise cause, Sandusky assistant fire Chief Paul Ricci said. Three firefighters were injured while fighting the blaze, but all three have been treated and released from the hospital.
From The Morning Journal…
SANDUSKY — Firefighters continue to investigate the cause of a blaze that damaged a maintenance building at Cedar Point on Tuesday night.
Two firefighters from Cedar Point and Margaretta Township suffered from heat exhaustion and Sandusky Firefighter Steve Rucker suffered a fall of about 10 feet from a ground ladder at the building, said SFD Assistant Chief Paul Ricci. The three were treated and released from Firelands Regional Medical Center.
Sandusky Fire Inspector Rudy Ruiz was back at the building this morning to examine a possible cause, Ricci said.
It appeared the fire may have started in a second floor storage area, but an exact cause and location were not known yet, he said.
The fire did not damage any Cedar Point rides, although the Corkscrew roller coaster, the Power Tower and the Super Himalaya spinning ride were closed because they were the rides closest to the fire, said park spokesman Bryan Edwards.
“Other than that, nothing happened inside the park,” Edwards said. “Guests were not in any danger and those rides were opened again this morning.”
The fire may have caused damage worth an estimated $500,000 to $750,000, Ricci said, but he cautioned that it’s a “very rough estimate” based on the building’s size. The structure, used as a plumbing shop, was a block and steel building about 50 feet wide by 100 feet long.
“There’s going to be considerable analysis as to the cost of this incident,” Ricci said.
The Cedar Point Fire Department called Sandusky firefighters at about 8:44 p.m. Friday for assistance in extinguishing a structure fire, Ricci said.
Sandusky firefighters arrived and entered the building, but got out fast, Ricci said.
“At some point into that operation there were significant indicators of a potential or partial collapse of the roof system,” he said. “All personnel were brought out.”
Firefighters from Huron and Margaretta Township responded to assist as Perkins Township firefighters also came into Sandusky to respond to other calls for fires or ambulances, Ricci said.
At Cedar Point, up to 40 firefighters were on scene and it took about 90 minutes to get the flames under control, Ricci said.
The fire was located in an area of the park not accessible to guests, Ricci said. Cedar Point maintenance workers had daily and nightly access to the building for park maintenance but it was unclear whether workers were inside the building when the fire broke out, he said.
The fire was the second multiple-alarm fire in two days for Sandusky and its neighboring fire departments.
On Monday, five firefighters suffered from heat exhaustion while battling a blaze in a six-unit condominium building at Marina Point Drive. That fire badly damaged two units and four others had smoke and water damage, Ricci said.
He credited the Sandusky firefighters and the surrounding departments for their work.
“Given the weather, it’s incredibly taxing on resources and personnel,” Ricci said. “They’re up to the task. They do a really admirable job.”
From the Sandusky Register…
SANDUSKY
Three firefighters were hospitalized late Tuesday after battling a fire at a Cedar Point maintenance and storage facility.
Two firefighters — one from Cedar Point, one from Margaretta — suffered heat exhaustion, while a Sandusky firefighter suffered unknown injuries after falling from a ladder posted against the outside of the burning building.
All three men were taken by ambulance to Firelands Regional Medical Center for treatment. The Cedar Point firefighter who suffered heat exhaustion was treated and released by 11:30 p.m., while the other two remained hospitalized.
The blaze broke out on the second floor of the building shortly before 9 p.m. The building is located in an employees-only area behind the Corkscrew and Power Tower.
Inside the building was office supplies and furniture, as well as plumbing and electrical equipment.
The fire started near a stairwell between the plumbing and electrical shops, said Sandusky assistant fire Chief Paul Ricci.
Cedar Point firefighters were notified of the blaze at about 8:40 p.m., park spokesman Bryan Edwards said.
Park personnel then called in Sandusky firefighters, who were later assisted by crews from Perkins and Margaretta townships and the city of Huron.
The building was engulfed in flames by the time Ricci arrived on scene at about 9 p.m.
Cedar Point firefighters were already fighting the blaze when other firefighters arrived, but it only grew in ferocity.
At the fire’s peak, upwards of 40 firefighters were on scene, Ricci said.
While crews trained multiple hoses on the structure, park visitors remained largely unaffected. Workers only shut down three rides — Power Tower, Corkscrew and Super Himalaya — because the rides were so close to the burning building.
Firefighters extinguished the brunt of the blaze within an hour and a half, Ricci said.
While investigators are still trying to figure out what sparked the fire, the building remains virtually a total loss, Ricci said.
Edwards and emergency crews did not immediately have a cost estimate on damages.
The building is a 5,000-square-foot, two-story structure made of block and steel.
“The fire department did a great job, especially with the temperature outside,” Edwards said. “Those guys absolutely need to be commended.”
When the fire broke out, temperatures were in the low 80s.
To his knowledge, employees were not in the building when the fire started, Edwards said.
“The positive news is no guests or employees were in any danger at any time,” he said. “Three rides were shut down as a precaution.”
All three rides will be open Wednesday and the park will continue to operate without disruption, Edwards said.
Park visitors seemed, for the most part, unaware of the fire. They continued to ride the Top Thrill Dragster, while many crowded into the midway to watch the evening’s fireworks show.
Scott Roush, 39, of Lexington, was one of a few visitors leaning by the fence near the Power Tower as fire crews worked behind the hedge line.
“We were fishing down at the pier when we saw the fire trucks coming by,” Roush said.
His family has season passes to Cedar Point, so they decided to enter the park to see what was happening.
Roush said the fire wouldn’t disrupt his visits to the park — he was just curious about the commotion.
Other visitors craned their necks to get a glimpse of the fire as they stepped over hoses snaking through the midway near Top Thrill Dragster.
Cedar Point staff hovered over the fire hose, making sure visitors didn’t trip over it in the darkness.
Early Wednesday, a handful of firefighters were still on scene. Crews also called in a Sandusky police detective.
Read the original breaking news posting here.
From the Sandusky Register…
SANDUSKY
Erie County Sheriff’s dispatchers confirmed there is currently a working fire at Cedar Point.
Scanner traffic between Sandusky and Cedar Point firefighters indicate the burning structure is a two-story, metal building used for maintenance purposes. As of 9:25 p.m., firefighters were still working to extinguish the blaze.
At least one Cedar Point firefighter was taken by ambulance to the hospital to be treated for unknown injuries.
UPDATED 9:50 p.m.: Additional fire departments have been called to the scene to provide mutual aid, including Huron, Perkins and Margaretta fire.
UPDATED 10 p.m.: Fire personnel on scene have requested immediate transport for a “firefighter down,” according to police scanner traffic. “I have a firefighter down; need transport A-S-A-P,” one fire commander relayed on dispatch.
UPDATED 10:20 p.m.: Firefighters have indicated there appears to be no more smoke in the building at this time. The building is not located in the main park area, but in a maintenance area.
Park personnel have shut down three rides close to the fire — the Corkscrew, Power Tower and a musical bob sled ride. For the most part, park visitors said the fire has not affected them a bit; they’ve continued riding the other rides without much interruption.
