Macedonia, Ohio — A roof fire swept through a Northeast Ohio nursing home Friday afternoon, forcing staff to evacuate all 92 residents and ultimately prompting officials to close the building due to extensive smoke and water damage.
The Macedonia Fire Department responded to the Avenue at Macedonia Care and Rehabilitation Center at 9730 Valley View Road shortly after 2:30 p.m., arriving in just three minutes. Crews found heavy smoke and visible fire coming from the roof on the north side of the building, directly above the kitchen and dining area.
By the time firefighters walked through the front door, facility staff had already begun evacuating residents through the south side of the building — a move that likely kept the situation from turning far worse.
Fire Fueled by High Winds
Strong winds, which reached gusts of up to 60 miles per hour across Northeast Ohio on Friday, fed the roof fire and made containment more challenging. Despite the conditions, firefighters brought the blaze under control quickly after arriving on scene.
Once the fire was out and no flames were found inside the building, residents were allowed back in temporarily and sheltered in the south hallway while crews assessed the damage. Multiple fire departments provided mutual aid, including units from Twinsburg, Valley Fire District, Oakwood, Stow, Northfield Village, and Hudson EMS.
No injuries were reported. One resident was taken to a local hospital because they required continuous oxygen that couldn’t be maintained on site.
Building Closed, 92 Residents Displaced
After a full assessment, State Fire Marshal investigators determined the level of smoke and water damage was too severe to allow residents to remain. All 92 residents were relocated, and the facility was closed pending investigation into the fire’s cause.
The scale of the response — six mutual aid departments, local police, the mayor’s office, and the city’s service director all involved — reflected how seriously officials took the situation. The Macedonia facility’s staff response, evacuating all 92 residents before the first fire engine arrived, is exactly what emergency preparedness guidelines are designed to produce. CMS released updated emergency preparedness guidance for long-term care providers just days ago, reinforcing that effective planning and continuous readiness are central to protecting patients during any crisis.
What Comes Next
The cause of the roof fire remains under investigation by the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s office. No timeline has been given for when, or whether, the building can reopen.
For the families of 92 residents now relocated elsewhere, the disruption is real — even without physical injuries. Research has consistently shown that sudden relocation is one of the most stressful events a nursing home resident can experience, often compounding existing health challenges.
The incident comes at a time when nursing home safety failures are drawing increasing scrutiny nationwide. A Connecticut facility was recently ordered to shut down permanently following a safety failure that led to a resident’s death, adding to broader questions about how facilities prepare for and respond to emergencies.
