County roundup: Fire takes Hiram assistant fire chief’s historic home, plus news from Garrettsville, Mantua and Windham

House fires are always awful, but the timing couldn’t have been worse for the searing blaze Nov. 11 that burned Hiram Village Fire Department Assistant Chief Jason Groselle and his family’s historic home on Ryder Road to the ground. Fortunately, nobody was home when the fire happened.

“It’s the middle of November heading into the holidays, and absolutely everything burned,” Mayor Anne Haynam said. “They’re running around shopping for their kids to have clothes and toothbrushes and what not, so they’re going to have a long road. With their homeowners insurance, they’ll be able to rebuild, but it’s an awful process to go through to lose all of your stuff and replace it. Jason is especially near and dear to us with his commitment to the village. It’s devastating for his family.”