A fire at the building housing the historic Emery Theater is being investigated as “suspicious,” the Cincinnati Fire Department (CFD) said.
CFD said crews were dispatched to the large, six-story multi-use building, located at 1112 Walnut Street, around 6:41 a.m. Saturday, for reports of “smoke coming from the ceiling.” Construction workers nearby alerted CFD to the smoke conditions.
The theater, which is under renovation, is enclosed in the building on one side, while several apartments are on the other side, CFD said. When crews searched the building, they found a fire in the basement, which was extinguished in roughly 10 minutes. CFD said an “extensive effort” was then put forth to get rid of the smoke. Vent 21, a specialized unit, was dispatched to ventilate the smoke, which filled the entire building…