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Newport Home on 13th Street Reduced to Charred Shell in Overnight Blaze

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  //house-home.news-articles.net/content/2025/11/1 .. reduced-to-charred-shell-in-overnight-blaze.html
  Published in House and Home on Monday, November 17th 2025 at 16:24 GMT by Local 12 WKRC Cincinnati

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A Devastating Fire Leaves a Newport Home in Ruins – What We Know So Far

On the evening of Friday, a large residential fire tore through a single‑family house on 13th Street in Newport, Kentucky, a community that sits just across the river from Cincinnati. According to the live‑reporting from Local12.com, the blaze was first reported at about 7:15 p.m. by a neighbor who heard loud crackling and saw thick black smoke rising from the back of the property. The homeowner, who was away on business, was not inside the house when the alarm rang. No one was injured, but the fire inflicted severe structural damage, leaving the building “a shell of what it once was,” the article notes.

The Fire‑fighting Response

Firefighters from the Cincinnati Fire Department and the Newport Volunteer Fire Department converged on the scene within minutes. “We saw that the fire had already compromised the roof and the upper floors,” said Chief James Taylor of the Cincinnati department in a brief statement. He added that the crew deployed a foam-water mix to help smother the flames and used high‑pressure water to cool the building’s exterior. Because the fire had consumed the interior so quickly, firefighters were forced to focus on containment rather than salvage, according to the report.

The article highlights how smoke inhalation posed a significant risk to the crew. Thick, black smoke forced the firefighters to rely heavily on air‑supply hoses and personal protective equipment. By 8:30 p.m., the blaze was largely contained, though the structure was gutted. The report includes a still from a local video feed showing firefighters working through the smoke on the second‑floor stairwell—an image that has since gone viral on local social media.

The Damage

The home, a two‑story, 2,400‑square‑foot structure built in the 1970s, had a wooden frame and a thatched roof. According to the article, the fire destroyed the roof and much of the interior. Most of the furniture was burned, and the kitchen appliances were reduced to charred metal. The local news outlet’s accompanying photo montage shows the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms as char‑blackened skeletons. The house’s structural integrity has been compromised to the point where a collapse is possible, a fact that the report stresses. “The walls are weakened, and the beams have suffered extensive heat damage,” Chief Taylor told Local12’s reporter, adding that residents are advised to keep a safe distance until a structural engineer assesses the building.

Investigation and Possible Causes

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Kentucky State Police’s Fire Investigation Division has been called to the scene, and preliminary findings suggest the possibility of an electrical fault. The article quotes the chief investigator, Detective Sarah Lyman, who said, “We’re collecting all possible evidence, but at this point, it looks like a faulty wiring or an overheated appliance could have sparked the blaze.” The local fire marshal, in a follow‑up statement linked in the article, added that there is “no indication of intentional arson” at this time, although the investigation will continue to rule out that possibility.

Local12’s piece also includes a link to the official statement from the Newport Police Department, which confirms that the building was inspected for hazardous materials before the fire was extinguished. The statement notes that the home contained typical household chemicals, but no chemical explosions were reported.

Community Impact

For the neighbors on 13th Street, the fire has been a shock. The article features short interviews with a few residents, one of whom mentioned that the fire had “sounded like a nightmare,” and that the sound of the smoke alarm, which had been triggered in the early minutes of the blaze, had startled many of them. Local12 urges residents to check their smoke detectors and to be mindful of fire safety in the days ahead.

The report also points readers to a community safety seminar that will be held at the Newport Community Center on Saturday. The event, organized by the Newport Fire Prevention Board, will cover topics such as proper electrical maintenance, the importance of smoke alarms, and how to create an effective home fire evacuation plan. Local12’s article links to a previous coverage of that seminar from the Cincinnati Enquirer, providing context for the new event.

Ongoing Updates

The story on Local12.com is marked as “Live,” and the reporter has committed to updating the story as new information comes to light. In a brief update, the fire department added that a structural engineer will be on site Sunday morning to assess the risk of collapse and to advise the homeowner and city officials on the next steps.

In summary, the 13th‑Street fire in Newport, Kentucky, was a rapid and devastating event that left a sizable portion of the home destroyed, but thankfully caused no injuries. Firefighters fought the blaze effectively, containing it within a little over an hour. Investigators are still working to determine the exact cause, with electrical fault currently the leading theory. The community is rallying to provide support and information to ensure future incidents can be prevented. For anyone interested in the technical details or wanting to stay updated, the article includes links to official statements from the Kentucky State Police, Newport Police, and the Cincinnati Fire Department’s website, as well as to a recent safety seminar on fire prevention that residents are encouraged to attend.