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Barn fire injures Green Twp. man

GREENFORD — A Green Township man was transferred from St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Youngstown to the burn unit in Akron Children’s Hospital following a barn fire Wednesday morning.

Thomas Zarisky of 9125 Washingtonville Road was in critical condition at St. Elizabeth when he was transported, and his condition at Akron Children’s Hospital was not available.

He suffered serious burns, according to WKBN First News, the Journal’s broadcast partner.

The Green Township Volunteer Fire Department responded at 8:41 a.m., Fire Chief Todd Baird said, and the first truck was on the scene at 8:50 a.m.

Assistant Fire Chief Adam Noble said they just returned to the fire station from a motor vehicle accident at Western Reserve and Washingtonville roads when they responded for a barn fire and an attempted rescue.

Goshen Police Chief Steve McDaniel, who had responded to the same vehicle accident, was advised by passing motorist of the fire just down the road as he was clearing the accident scene.

According to WKBN, when McDaniel and another man approached the barn, they noticed a man trapped on a skid loader with its engine running just outside the building.

“We tried to get him out. The flames and smoke were so bad you couldn’t see. Finally, after four or five times being up there, the smoke was getting to us,” McDaniel said.

At that point, tanks started exploding inside the barn just as firefighters arrived, he said.

“They could see the excavator sitting right outside the building. They tried and were able to actually get him out of the excavator and get him away from the building,” McDaniel said.

Noble described the man as elderly and possibly disoriented from the smoke “and wasn’t able to get himself out.”

He was transported to St. Elizabeth by the Canfield Cardinal Joint Fire District EMS.

The state fire marshal is investigating to determine what started the fire and Noble said due to the heat and damage the cause may be undetermined.

He said that along with Canfield, the Beaver Township, Boardman, Leetonia and Damascus fire departments also responded.

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