Charges Pending Against a Juvenile in Connection

Around 8:32 pm on August 13, firefighters responded to a fire near West Third Street and Cowart Avenue in Dayton, Ohio. Upon arrival, they determined the fire was inside a historic Wright brothers factory.

The Dayton Fire Department reached the scene only 5 minutes after the call and quickly deployed hose lines. After about an hour, the fire was extinguished. No injuries have been reported, and Dayton Police arrested a juvenile related to the incident. Charges are still pending.

The building involved is the Wright Brothers’ first aircraft manufacturing facility, and is known as the oldest aircraft manufacturing site in the world. At peak operation, the factory could produce four planes each month. In total, it generated around 120 aircraft and 13 different models. Orville Wright sold his interest in the company in 1915 after his brother’s recent death.

A similar, but much larger fire occurred in the building on March 26, 2023. Just before 2:30 pm, a report was made of large flames at the factory. Firefighters arrived shortly after and spent 14 hours on the site, but substantial damage had already been done.

Prior to this incident, the National Park Service had plans to acquire the building. This was put on hold in April while Dayton city officials completed structural analysis to determine necessary repairs.

“The National Aviation Heritage Alliance is committed to sharing the nationally significant story of the Wright Company,” NAHA commented after the fire. “The board and staff will continue to support the City of Dayton and National Park Service as those organizations explore the multitude of paths forward at the factory site.”

Earlier this year, Congressman Mike Turner announced that Dayton will be receiving $4 million in federal funding to repair damages on the Wright Brothers manufacturing facility. The most recent incident has renewed the city’s discussions for its redevelopment.

FMI: www.daytonohio.gov, www.visitnaha.com