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Fear struck Clark County on Tuesday, March 18, when a fire near downtown Winchester was confirmed at approximately 2:45 p.m. 

The incident, which occurred at 5 W. Broadway, was addressed immediately by first responders. 

“One of the residents said the smoke detector and fire alarm system was going off…the department responded with a full fleet,” said Winchester Fire Department Chief Chris Whiteley. “[The] battalion chief got on scene. He noted a working structure fire over the radio.”  

Ultimately, the fire was contained to a single room, which suffered heat and minor smoke damage. 

However, significant water damage did occur. 

“That’s due to the sprinkler system…[activating]. It did its job,” Chief Whiteley added. “We had a difficult time getting that sprinkler off. It deactivated once we were on scene.” 

Ultimately, one family was displaced as a result of the incident. 

“We utilized [the] Red Cross to get them residence for the evening and hotel accommodations,” Whiteley added. 

The Winchester Fire Department did address certain challenges. 

“We had to utilize the hydrant on the other side of Main Street, and that caused us to have to shut down traffic in both directions,” Chief Whiteley added. “The Clark County Fire Department was requested to send one engine. They came and assisted our crews. Then we had no issues.” 

Despite such concerns, operations continued steadily. 

“We wanted one [ambulance] for the residents [and] one for the responders if they got hurt or needed help,” Chief Whiteley said. “We had to evaluate a significant amount of people…we assisted a lot of folks down the stairs, and then we provided oxygen to a couple [of] cats. They seemed to be okay and responded well…there [were] no injuries to the personnel or the civilians.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.