Early Thursday, Deer Park-Silverton Joint Fire District crews engaged a large house fire in punishingly cold weather at the intersection of Vine and Lombardy streets. As confirmed by officials, the residence was vacant, and unfortunately, upon their arrival after 2 a.m., they faced not only flames but also frozen fire hydrants due to temperatures hovering near zero, as reported by FOX19.
The fire has been extinguished, and investigators are currently probing its cause. During the thick of the conflagration, a Metro bus was stationed on Vine Street to afford firefighters a brief respite from the cold, and the American Red Cross was also at the scene, although no damage estimate has been disclosed yet. Meanwhile, in a separate but nearby incident, the Elmwood Place fire department managed a blaze at another empty two-story building on Lombardy Street. This was detailed by WLWT, noting that the surrounding area was still closed off as of 5:45 a.m. Although the fire was contained, no injuries were reported. Road crews arrived subsequently to mitigate the risk of ice with salt…