Two Large Fires in Lakewood Keep Firefighters Busy

More than two-dozen firefighters from Lakewood and Rocky River battled an apartment fire at 14023 Madison Avenue at around 1 a.m. Sunday — the second blaze of the night. No injuries were reported in either fire.

While two large fires in one night isn’t an unprecedented occurrence, it certainly isn’t typical either, said Lakewood Fire Chief Scott Gilman. But that’s exactly what happened Saturday night and early Sunday morning.  More than two-dozen firefighters from Lakewood and Rocky River battled an apartment fire at 14023 Madison Avenue at around 1 a.m. Sunday. Traffic in both directions was shut down on Madison Avenue, as exhausted firefighters battled the blaze, believed to have started in a kitchen unit in the rear of the building.  Just hours earlier, more than 30 firefighters from several squads of the Lakewood Fire Department responded to a fire on the third and fourth floors of The Cynwyd apartment building on Clifton Boulevard. Eastbound …

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Firefighters Battle Blaze at Clifton Boulevard Apartment Building

The building was evacuated, but no injuries were reported. However, eastbound traffic was closed in the 12200 block of Clifton Boulevard for more than two hours.

More than 30 firefighters from several squads of the Lakewood Fire Department responded to a blaze on the third and fourth floors of The Cynwyd apartment building on Clifton Boulevard early Saturday evening. Heavy smoke poured from the apartment building and flames could be seen escaping from the exterior walls. The building was evacuated, but no injuries were reported. No one was home in either of the two affected apartments. However, eastbound traffic was closed in the 12200 block of Clifton Boulevard for more than two hours. Fire chief Scott Gilman said that firefighters got the call at around 7:50 p.m., and quickly extinguished the blaze. “We advanced the lines up the back stairs,” he said, as crowds of evacuees stood watching the …

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Colin McEwen

12:19 am on Sunday, May 19, 2013

Agreed!   more ›

No One Injured in Blaze on Clifton Place

Quick response time helped to keep the fire from spreading.

It took only about 15 minutes for several firefighters to extinguish a blaze at a double-home on Clifton Place early Saturday afternoon. But it took less than one minute to respond. The home was quickly evacuated and no one was injured, said Lakewood Fire Chief Scott Gilman. With the department’s Fire Station No. 2 less than a quarter-mile away, firefighters saw the heavy smoke billowing over Detroit Avenue just as the call came in. The fire broke out on the first floor at 1405 Clifton Place just after 1 p.m. Saturday. Heat from the blaze melted the windows frames, and black smoke colored the home’s siding. Gilman said it took about 45 seconds to respond. Nearly all units from all three fire stations showed up to help. “That’s why we’ve …

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pam ghaster

5:47 pm on Sunday, March 24, 2013

Wow what a response time. So happy no one was hurt. I hope they had fire devices. -pam ghaster rocky river Yacht Club   more ›

WATCH: Lakewood Firefighters Take Plunge at Lakewood High School

Water rescue team test out new equipment purchased with a couple of grants totaling more than $60,000.

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Don’t Burn Down Your Lakewood Home During the Holidays

Officials from the Lakewood Fire Department offer some great safety tips for the holidays.

Everything is beautiful this time of year because, frankly, you make it that way. But your favorite Lakewood Patch editor and the Lakewood Fire Department want to make sure your decorations aren't going to burn your old house down.  We checked in with Fire Chief Scott Gilman and Fire Marshal Tim Dunphy for some decorating safety tips this holiday season. “The Lakewood Fire Department would like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and safe and happy holidays,” said Dunphy. Here's some solid advice: • Gilman said that the “number one cause of fires during the holidays” is from unattended candles. “Never leave them unattended or within three feet of any combustible materials,” said Gilman. “And don’t keep them around natural or uncut …

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WATCH: Fallen Firefighters Remembered in Lakewood

Annual event at Lakewood Fire Station No. 1 brings out a crowd of people, despite the rain.

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New $587,000 Fire Truck Arrives in Lakewood

The hook-and-ladder truck has a much-needed water pump; goes into service this week.

A new fire engine arrived at Lakewood Fire Station No. 1 last Friday.  But it’s headed to Lakewood Fire Station No. 3 on Clifton Boulevard for duty this week. The new truck comes with a price tag of $587,000, but Fire Chief Scott Gilman said the cost was offset by a $100,000 trade-in for another hook-and-ladder fire engine. To save costs, the department is also expected to reduce the fleet by another vehicle.  Earlier this year, Lakewood City Council OK’d the purchase. The new truck is equipped with a much-needed water pump. “We were running into situations where we’d pull up to a fire but didn’t have water,” said Gilman. “Because we were able to get a good trade-in, we were able to get a ladder truck with a pump.”  You’ll see this truck …

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Brandon Scullion

9:16 am on Tuesday, June 26, 2012

That is one really sweet new toy, albeit a functional one with a serious purpose. Congratulations to our firefighters.   more ›

Fire Captain Retires After 32 Years With the Department

James Phelan honored at Monday's city council meeting with a special resolution recognizing his service.

After 32 years in the Lakewood Fire Department, Capt. James Phelan is hanging up the hose. Phelan, who has been captain for the past 18 years, was honored at the city council meeting Monday night for his service to the department and to the city. Lakewood Fire Chief Scott Gilman recalled one of the first calls he went on with Phelan in 1982. It was a house fire on Webb Road. “He and I crawled through a burning living room, and we found a lady in the bedroom and we brought her out,” Gilman said. “We did CPR on her and she survived."  “He’s done a lot of good things in this community.” City council agreed. “It’s always impressive to someone who’s served the community for this many years,” said Council Vice President Brian Powers. “I think …

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Westshore Fire District Moving Forward

District receives $135,000 grant to purchase radio equipment; still seeking opportunities to work together.

Momentum for the Westshore Fire District may have cooled, but it certainly is not extinguished. The seven cities participating in the district are continuing their efforts to see how the fire departments’ services could be consolidated. A feasibility study conducted last year — funded by a grant from EfficientGovNow — looked at ways fire departments from Lakewood, Westlake, Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, North Ridgeville and Rocky River could work together. The report found that there are more than two dozen ways the cities could cooperate — even if a joint fire district isn’t formed. Lakewood has its own dispatch service (through the police department), so it’s not likely to be involved in a joint dispatch center if the other …

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Three New Firefighters Begin in Lakewood

Trio begins Sunday after the recent retirements of longtime firefighters.

The city of Lakewood has got a few new firefighters. Matthew Scharfenberg, Brian Sedmak and Josh Erdani all began their first shifts on Sunday at Fire Station No. 1 on Madison Avenue. This week, they are training and getting familiar with the city and the inner-workings of the department. Chief Scott Gilman said he's looking forward to getting the trio into action. The challenging process to become a Lakewood firefighter is over. First, applicants must excel on the civil service exam, he said. Then, they must pass a physical agility test, a polygraph test and a series of interviews — including one with the mayor.  “These guys are all certified firefighters,” he said. “They’re all qualified.” The three full-time firefighters will fill …

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