Milford firefighters responded to a working fire at a strip shopping center in the 4500 block of Eastgate Boulevard in Union Township on Aug. 11, joining a multi-department effort that brought the blaze under control with no injuries reported.

The fire broke out shortly after 5:30 p.m. at the rear of a large one-story strip center, near a trash compactor, according to emergency radio traffic monitored by the Clermont Guardian. Crews were initially dispatched for an outside fire, but the call was quickly upgraded to a "high hazard working fire" after multiple reports of flames near the top of the structure.

The first engine on scene launched an offensive attack while establishing a water supply. Dispatchers routed all responding units to a dedicated fire-ground channel and called for mutual aid from neighboring departments.

Units responding included a tower ladder, two quints, multiple engines and medic crews from both Anderson Township Fire and the Milford Community Fire Department. Firefighters searched the building's interior to determine whether the fire had spread toward the roof. Radio traffic indicated it had not.

Employees and customers were evacuated from the building during the firefight. They were allowed to return once crews brought the fire under control.

No injuries were reported.

A cause had not been determined as of the initial response.

The Eastgate Boulevard corridor sits in Union Township, Clermont County, just east of Milford's city limits. Milford Fire routinely provides mutual aid in the area. In 2023, the department logged 1,929 emergency responses, with 223 of those being mutual aid calls into neighboring communities, according to city records presented at a March 2024 council meeting. The department recorded 17 mutual aid details in Union Township in 2022.

The Clermont Guardian's account is based solely on initial emergency radio traffic and has not been confirmed by fire officials. The Milford Community Fire Department has not released a statement. The cause remains under investigation.

Residents with information can contact the Milford Community Fire Department at (513) 831-7777.