East Toledo family displaced by fire

12/30/2006

A family of seven was left homeless this afternoon when their East Toledo home was badly damaged by fire.

Four children and a baby-sitter were home at 440 St. Louis St. when the blaze started just after 12:15 p.m. in the laundry room. They escaped the two-story house unharmed before firefighters arrived, said Battalion Fire Chief Christine Davis.

The children, dressed in pajamas, waited outside in a parked car, as firefighters extinguished the blaze and then removed burnt debris from the structure.

The family was being assisted by the Greater Toledo Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The fire, which appeared to be electrical, spread to the rear of the home, causing heavy damage to the structure and contents, Chief Davis said. She estimated the damage at $25,000. There was also minor damage to an adjacent house.

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