CINCINNATI — You can replace things, but you can't replace people. It's a feeling many have in the College Hill neighborhood after a house fire Tuesday morning on Aspen Way, near the intersection of West North Bend Road and Hamilton Avenue.
That afternoon, on the front lawn, sat a burned mattress showing its springs, burned blankets and plants and flower pots knocked over.
"Even though maybe the fire wasn't as extensive as you might see from the outside there's a lot of smoke damage to everything," said Sue Bertke, a neighbor. "We're going to do what we can to help them recover."
District Fire Chief Mike Cayse said when firefighters arrived, they saw smoke showing out of the second floor, but they discovered the fire started on the first floor in a back bedroom. The fire was so significant that the family is not staying there, and it burned up several items inside, including some new baby items.
"We had three adults inside that were able to get out prior to the fire department arrival and now we're looking to house the three occupants that were there, the owner, and the owner's son, so five displaced people," Cayse said.
Some people staying there just got back from the hospital on Sunday after one of them had a baby.
"I think they're feeling blessed that everyone is safe I think they're feeling joyous that the baby is OK and came home," Bertke said. "We're already starting a Venmo collection, where that goes beyond that, I'm not sure."
Bertke said everyone is focusing on the things they cannot replace.
"They just brought a baby home we're like oh no and we were hoping for a good outcome which there was everybody is safe," Bertke said.
WCPO reached out to the Red Cross and confirmed the organization is working with the displaced family. CFD didn't say how the fire started, and it's under investigation.
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