Firefighters extinguish Kent house fire

It took 10 minutes for Kent, Ravenna and Brimfield firefighters to douse flames coming out of the second-story windows of a Valleyview Drive home this evening. Police responded to the call around 4:45 p.m.

Anthony and Lillian Silvidi of Kent didn’t know their home was on fire until real estate agent Michael Bukovac knocked on their door. Bukovac was touring a home across the street when he noticed smoke coming from the Silvidi’s attic.

“I finally got the guy to open the door,” Bukovac said. “I think they were kind of in shock.”

Dozens of neighbors crowded the sidewalks to watch the squads work. Kent police blockaded Vine Street to prevent cars from running over the fire hoses snaking down Valleyview.

“When we rolled up we had flames going through the roof and smoke going out the back,” said Kent Fire Captain Dave Manthey.

Manthey said he issued a general call when he saw the flames. A general call goes out to all Kent firefighters who are on or off duty.

Manthey said the cause of the fire is still undetermined until his crew gets a chance to investigate the cause. That could be later tonight or tomorrow.

The street became quiet again around 5:45 p.m. as firefighters packed equipment back into their trucks.