The fire took place in Cleveland, Ohio, a few miles north of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Heavy industry dominates this section of the river.You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. The National Park Service is setting prescribed fires at some locations in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park over the next couple months. On June 22, 1969, an oil slick caught fire on the Cuyahoga River just southeast of downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Official Facebook page of the Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department in Summit County, Ohio. The Cuyahoga River Caught Fire at Least a Dozen Times, but No One Cared Until 1969. "We should be proud of the Clean Water Act that dramatically reduced the pollution that led to the fires in the Cuyahoga," Kiernan says. Practice escape plans every month. The best plans have two ways to get out of each room.