In the early afternoon on Thursday March 22, many Sinclair students heard this question from classmates; “Do you know what caught fire downtown?”
Around noon the six story CareSource Center that was under construction, caught fire and emitted thick black smoke that could be seen for miles. According to WDTN, the Public Information Officer for the Dayton Fire Department reported that roofing materials for the construction were involved in the incident.
There were no injuries, and the flames were under control within 90 minutes. Dayton Daily News reports that while the smoke looked dramatic and scary, the fire itself was not overly hazardous.
The buildings construction was started last year, and was set to open its doors in the spring of 2019. After the fire Thursday afternoon, CareSource released a written statement explaining that the fire would not alter that plan.
CareSource is a non profit organization that has been providing medical services to the community since 1989. With over a million members spread across four states, it has the second largest Medicaid plan in the U.S.
The new center will be the first office building to be newly built in Dayton in nearly a decade. CareSource plans for the new center to be a campus similar to its nearby headquarters, and be easily walkable for the close to 800 employees it will be able to house.
Cerridwyn Kuykendall
Associate Editor