Hunting Valley: Monday morning fire destroys Shaker Boulevard home

HUNTING VALLEY -- Fire departments from 10 communities provided mutual aid to the Chagrin Falls Fire Department to battle a blaze that broke out just before 4 a.m. Monday at a home on Shaker Boulevard, just west of Chagrin River Road.

Chagrin Falls Fire Chief Frank Zugan Jr. said the cause of the fire, which totally destroyed the home, remains under investigation.

No one was injured and the preliminary damage estimate is about $350,000. Chagrin Falls provides fire service for Hunting Valley.

Zugan said an on-duty Hunting Valley police officer spotted the fire at the two-story home just before 4 a.m. No one was in the home at the time, Zugan said.

Chagrin Falls responded, calling for mutual aid from the Pepper Pike, Gates Mills and Orange Village fire departments.

With the closest fire hydrant a great distance away, Chagrin Falls called for the "Geauga County Tanker Shuttle," a consortium of fire departments with water tankers that aid in fighting fires when hydrants are either not available or a long distance away.

Zugan said tankers from Russell, Bainbridge, Munson, Auburn, Burton, Middlefield and Newbury all responded.

Zugan said the home was "totally burned out," and the house basically collpased into the basement.

He said firefighters were still on the scene "mopping up" as late as noon today.