Park St. fire…

The Van Wert Fire Department responded to a residential structure fire at 1118 Park St. at 8:15 p.m. Thursday, where arriving crews observed heavy smoke coming from a two-story home. Firefighters initiated an offensive interior attack, however, upon entry they found the second-floor area unstable. Command ordered all personnel to evacuate and operations transitioned to a defensive exterior attack for firefighter safety. One firefighter sustained an injury after slipping on ice and was treated at the scene. Due to the compromised structural integrity of the building, an interior fire investigation could not be safely conducted, and the cause of the fire remains undetermined. The fire was brought under control at 10:50 p.m. and all units cleared the scene at 12:17 a.m. this morning. Bob Barnes/VWFD photographer