By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

A firefighter drags a hose line into the front door during a fire at the Carriage Station Apartments Tuesday afternoon. No one was injured. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

UNION TOWNSHIP - As tears rolled down her cheeks, Michelle Spiller watched firefighters Tuesday afternoon in the burned apartment building she has called home for five months.

"I don't even know what I'm thinking," she said. "It's the first time I've lived away from my parents' house."

A fire at 6 Carriage Station off Beechmont Avenue in Clermont County destroyed one apartment and damaged two adjoining units, including Ms. Spiller's. Fire officials had no damage estimate.

A woman and two small children were in the apartment where the blaze started. They all got out safely.

At least seven people were displaced by the blaze. The American Red Cross was called to assist them.

"Preliminary indications (are) that a 4-year-old was playing with a lighter and started a fire in a couch in the living on the first floor," Union Township Fire Chief Stan Deimling said.

Ms. Spiller was coming home from work when she spotted about a dozen firetrucks and other emergency vehicles outside her building

Firefighters responded to the apartment complex shortly after 2 p.m. and found heavy fire coming from the windows and open front door of one apartment. They made an interior attack on the fire and used two aerial ladder trucks to ventilate the burning building.

Anderson Township firefighters assisted because of the fire's size and the building type. It took about 30 minutes to control the fire.

E-mail daveck@fuse.net