Emergency responders at the scene of the residential fire that erupted early Monday, Jan. 12. (Video still courtesy of Bryan Rogursky)
Electrical fire at Lawson Place home
- Published: January 13, 2026
Miami Township Fire-Rescue officers spent the pre-dawn hours of Monday, Jan. 12, putting out a blaze that erupted at a village home.
Just after 2 a.m. Monday, a resident at 11 Lawson Place noticed that an outside wall of the home had caught fire and called 911. According to Fire Chief James Cannell, MTFR firefighters were “on the scene within five minutes.”
“They got the hose off really quickly and started putting water on the fire and held it in check,” Cannell said.
Everyone inside the house made it out safely, he said, and no injuries were reported.
Mutual aid in combatting the fire was provided by Cedarville Volunteer Fire Department, Hustead Fire Department, Xenia Township Fire Department, the City of Xenia’s Fire and EMS Division and the YS Police Department. Cannell said responders were on the scene for about three-and-a-half hours.
The blaze was the result of an electrical short; Cannell said the resident who called 911 reported that they had seen flickering lights, and then flames on the outside of the home.
“The fire burned inside the wall, and then burned out, which tells us it was electrical,” Cannell said. “[Responders] saved the house from significant damage, but there is a lot of water damage in the room of origin.”
As the News has reported, since taking the helm of MTFR in June 2025, Cannell and his staff have worked to ensure that there are at least three fire and emergency personnel on duty during every shift.
“We did have three people on duty during the call, and that made a difference,” he said.
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