Flammable materials left on roof
By Allison Pritchard
Rocky River
Published Aug. 27, 2008

The Manor House condominiums fire from Aug. 6 is still officially under investigation, according to Robert Crowe, Rocky River fire prevention officer. However, the insurance company hired private fire investigators to look over the scene and has come up with a conclusion that has not yet been announced, said Crowe.

Workers had been re-tarring the roof and left the site. According to Crowe, they had put all of their leftover materials in a pile on a roof, which according to witnesses, was the same spot where the fire took place around 2 p.m. Items in the pile included materials that could support a fire, such as wood and fresh tar. There is no reason to suspect that the fire was intentionally started by anyone, Crowe said.

Seven area fire departments had responded to the Pease Drive fire that damaged six units.

Before fighting the flames, Bay Village fireman Patrick Hauck discovered and saved a photograph. The picture was of a resident couple from before they were married and the husband was home on leave from being stationed in Hawaii, according to Rocky River Mayor Pamela Bobst.

Hauck said he didn’t think much about doing the kind deed at the moment. “We have a motto,” he said. “We don’t want to leave anything in a worse case than how it was when we arrived.” He said he looked over and saw an old photograph of a man and woman in a nice, antique frame and thought it was either going to be gone in five minutes, or else he could save it. Hauck said he knew the people might lose it all so he might as well save something to minimize destruction.

The couple was grateful that at least one important memory was preserved, said Bobst.

Repair work has started on the most heavily damaged unit and the roofs may be next, said Crowe. Depending how the policies are written, either the condominium association’s or individuals’ insurances may repair the damage.

Crowe stressed to the public the importance that property insurance for fire loss is a good representation of what the actual home and contents is worth.

“History has been showing that a lot of people try to save money by cutting back their insurance,” said Crowe. “When a loss such as this occurs they’re finding out they’re underinsured and have to pay a lot of money out of their own pockets to replace their items or to repair their structure.”

Crowe said residents must make sure they have renters insurance because it will take care of damage if someone accidentally causes a fire or encounters property damage from a fire. Without it, residents can be held financially reliable for their own belongings and the building itself. If someone is underinsured, he may only get a portion of what his home is worth if a fire takes place.

Crowe also stressed the importance of taking fire safety precautions when dealing with smoke, candles and heat near combustibles, along with the importance of having adequate homeowner’s insurance.

Two victims of the fire stayed at Rockport Retirement Community in Rocky River, said Kitty Kadas, the community’s marketing director. She said one resident stayed overnight and the experience was “awesome because within a few hours we set her up with a little care package and apartment until she found out the next day the damage did not hit her apartment.” Another displaced resident will be there for a couple months, she said.

The community’s staff put together goody bags for the victims. Rockport Retirement community also helped displaced Pease Drive fire victims during the last fire, Rockport spokesperson Karen Semancik said.

Other victims are staying with friends and family. One is temporarily staying in a friend’s Manor House condominium while the owner is out of town, according to Crowe.