Portable heater blamed for mobile home blaze

12/3/2002

An unattended portable electric heater started a fire yesterday that caused about $25,000 damage to a mobile home on lot 201 at Creekside Village, 18 City Park Ave., Toledo fire investigator Michael Smith said.

The fire, reported about 7:20 a.m., started by the entrance door in the kitchen foyer. A heater was lying where the fire began. The occupant, Randy Craft, 43, told investigators that his dog may have hit the heater and knocked it over. A captain with the fire department rescued Mr. Craft's dog, Mr. Smith said.

Mr. Craft said he usually turns on the heater in the morning to get the chill out of the mobile home. He apparently forgot to unplug it when he left for work about 6:30 a.m. Dan Shook of Toledo owns the mobile home.