They are going to be working to pick up the pieces in the Seneca County Village of Ovid for some time.
That’s after a massive fire destroyed several buildings Tuesday night including the Big M supermarket and the Italian Kitchen restaurant. There were also apartments above the stores, and more than 15 people were left without a place to live. They are being helped by the Red Cross.
Ovid Fire Chief Timothy Westlake said on Wednesday that you can imagine what those sub-zero wind chill temperatures meant for the firefighters.
“We dealt with water supply issues, we dealt with freezing cold temperatures, icing up of equipment, icing up of personnel,” said Westlake, we had multiple (fire) departments.”
It took more than 200 firefighters several hours to put out the flames. But Westlake said that preparation and training helped prevent any serious injuries.
“The personnel on scene doing an outstanding job of clearing all the buildings, getting people out, keeping people out,” Westlake said. “That’s why we ended up the way we ended up. We lost property, material goods, that’s it.”
Ovid Village Mayor Aaron Roisen said this is a big loss for their community, with several of their key gathering places gone now.
“They are social hubs. And when those places go away, it takes a lot to reestablish that, and it won’t ever be the same,” noted Roisen. “It’ll be different, but we’ll move through it. Ovid always does.”
It is believed the fire was sparked by a charging device plugged into an electrical outlet in one of the apartments.
On Tuesday night, the Seneca County Health Department and the Village of Ovid Department of Public Works issued a mandatory water conservation order for residents who receive Village of Ovid Water. That is to make sure the village had enough water for people to drink and also to aid firefighting efforts.
Copyright 2025 WXXI News
