Kitchen fire causes $45,000 damage

4/9/2004

A kitchen fire of undetermined origin last night caused an estimated $45,000 damage to the second-floor residence at 2613 1/2 Maplewood Ave. near Islington Street in Toledo's Old West End, authorities said.

Fire crews arrived at 7:18 p.m., a minute after Mary Richardson, the occupant of the residence, noticed smoke coming out of a second-floor window and called 911. Ms. Richardson had been standing outside the house talking to a neighbor for about an hour when she noticed the smoke, Battalion Fire Chief Bill Sulewski said.

Firefighters had the fire under control in about 20 minutes before it could spread beyond the kitchen and the attic area above it, Chief Sulewski said.

The exact cause of the fire was not clear. The possibility of an electrical problem was being investigated, the chief said.

The damage estimate includes $30,000 to the building and $15,000 to the contents. The absence of smoke detectors contributed to the damage, the chief said.