By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

GLENDALE - A three-alarm fire Tuesday afternoon caused an estimated $80,000in damage to the home of NFL sports broadcaster and former Cincinnati Bengal Bob Trumpy.

Trumpy and his wife, Patricia, were at home when the blaze broke out but escaped. There were no injuries.

A flame from a construction crew's torch got inside a gap in the stucco on the exterior of the historic home and sparked the fire, officials said. The crew was working on a patio.

"Somehow that got in there and went right up the back of the house,'' Trumpy said. "I was in the carriage house working on some shutters. My wife was in the house. We couldn't identify where the smoke was coming from.''

A family room, hall, attic and basement received fire damage and there was smoke damage throughout the 12-room house, Glendale Fire Chief Don Latta said. But it's habitable, he added.

Firefighters were called to the Oak Avenue residence at 12:20 p.m. and found smoke coming from the east side of the house and roof, Latta said. About 45 firefighters from nine departments were eventually called to help because of the house's size and construction.

The 1915 home, which Hamilton County records value at $621,800, does not have any fire stops, which makes it vulnerable to large fires, the chief said.

Trumpy, a Bengals tight end and receiver from 1968-1977, said he and his wife have owned the house for 16 years. Dressed in jeans and a blue windbreaker, he spoke in a calm voice as firefighters continued to clean up.

"It's darn lucky we were here,'' Trumpy said. "If it had gotten to the attic, (the house) would have been on the ground."

Neighbor and Glendale council member Joe Gaynor watched firefighters work across the street Tuesday afternoon.

"These are all very historic houses,'' he said. "(Fire) is a major concern.''

The village in northern Hamilton County is home to dozens of large, stately homes. Trumpy, an NFL commentator on CBS Radio Sports/Westwood One, has lived in Glendale for more than 30 years, he said.

At the fire's height, more than a dozen fire engines and vehicles lined the residential street. Children, including one wearing a toy fire helmet, watched from a distance.

"I had the whole neighborhood captivated," Trumpy said.

Email daveck@fuse.net