Lima house fire sends 2 people to the hospital

1/22/2005

LIMA, Ohio - A fire at a single-family house here late Thursday sent its two occupants to the hospital and kept Lima firefighters at the scene for nearly three hours.

Janet Meihls, 54, was asleep on the first floor of 526 North West St. when she woke up about 11:30 p.m. and saw a fire in the living room, assistant fire Chief Tony DePalma said. She yelled and woke up her roommate, 41-year-old Joseph Selsor, who was sleeping upstairs. Mr. Selsor jumped from the second-floor window to escape the flames.

Both occupants were taken to St. Rita's Medical Center. Ms. Meihls was treated for smoke inhalation and released yesterday. Mr. Selsor was in fair condition yesterday.

The fire caused $43,000 damage to the house and $15,000 damage to its contents, officials said. The cause of the fire is unknown.