House fire destroys home of Harrison County deputy

A devastating house fire Dec. 14 destroyed the Richmond home of Harrison County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Clark.

Clark works part time for Harrison County and is also a deputy in Jefferson County. He previously worked for the Amsterdam and Bergholz police departments and spent several years as the school resource officer at John Gregg Elementary.

The fire was reported about 4 p.m., prompting a response from multiple fire departments. Richmond Fire Chief Eric Jeffers said heavy fire was found in the front rooms of the house, but firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze with aggressive efforts. The home was declared a total loss.

Clark lived in the home with his two grandsons, his daughter and her husband. All occupants evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported. Clark advised firefighters that four dogs were inside the home when crews arrived. One dog was rescued.

Harrison County Sheriff Mark Touville said Clark has been a longtime colleague.

“I’ve been working with Mark for a lot of years. We go back over 20 years,” Touville said. “He’s just a good guy, and I’m honored to have him on my staff. When something like this happens to anyone, especially one of our own, we’ll do whatever it takes to get him back to where he needs to be.”

Touville said Clark is a humble person who would not typically ask for help, but donations have already begun coming into the sheriff’s office.

The family’s greatest needs are clothing and hygiene items. Donations may be dropped off at the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office in Cadiz or at Ronald Davis and Sons Heating and Cooling, 5438 state Route 43 in Richmond, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Monetary donations may be dropped off at either location or made online through GoFundMe at gofundme.com/f/help-mark-clarks-family-after-devastating-fire.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.