Thank you area firefighters!
On behalf of the residents of North Baltimore, thank you to all the members of the various departments
that responded to the fire in our village on the evening of July 17th. Twelve separate fire departments
including squads from North Baltimore, Allen Township, Bloomdale, Cygnet, McComb, Findlay FD, Bowling
Green FD, Milton Township, Weston, Hoytville, Liberty Township, and Jenera, along with the North
Baltimore EMS and Bloomdale EMS squads combined to ensure the emergency situation was addressed.
These teams responded to assist North Baltimore in controlling and dousing the substantial fire on the
west side of our community. The remarkable efforts of nearly 100 firefighters contained the blaze to the
pallet yard outside of HPJ Industries’ main building located on West Broadway.
Special thanks to The Wood County Sheriff’s emergency dispatchers and our local dispatchers for the
efforts expended in coordinating the numerous calls to the surrounding area departments. Locally, Ted
Francisco, Chief of the North Baltimore Fire Department, and more than 20 volunteer members of our
department initiated rapid response in preventing this fire from spreading to other properties. The
magnitude of the heat from this blaze was of so intense that it caused heat related damage to homes as
much as a city block away as well as some damage to at least one of our fire pumper trucks. Through the
efforts of our local firemen and that of the many others that assisted us from the surrounding area
departments, a much larger catastrophe was averted.
Also, sincere thanks to all the community members that brought food and bottled water to all the
firefighters during their battle to extinguish the blaze. Your contributions were greatly appreciated.

Again thanks to the many departments and all those that assisted our community during its time of need.

C. Michael Julien
Mayor, Village of North Baltimore