He credited his firefighters for arriving on scene about four minutes after they were called and for keeping the fire from spreading throughout the building. High winds Tuesday could have created problems for the firefighters, he said.
A fire investigation team arrived on scene around 2:15 p.m. to investigate a possible cause of the fire and was still there Tuesday night, Lolli said.
The investigation, as of Tuesday, was a joint operation between the police and fire departments, he said.
Central Avenue between Franklin and Shafor streets was closed to traffic for several hours Tuesday. Middletown firefighters received mutual aid from Franklin and Madison Twp., he said.
Lolli said there were no occupants inside the building, but there were items that were left behind by former businesses. He said no firefighters were injured.
Lincoln School was built in 1921 and closed in 1980 when students were moved up Central Avenue to Roosevelt Elementary.
The district sold the property to a local dentist about 35 years ago. The building has been vacant for years and residents have called it an eyesore because of the high weeds.
The land is valued at $223,000 and the building is valued at $235,000, according to the Butler County Auditor’s web site. The owner is listed as Middletown Dental Group and more than $108,000 in taxes are owed on the property, according to the site.
Middletown City Manager Doug Adkins said he believes the property is in foreclosure.
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