4 families left homeless by 5 fires at houses

Five early-morning house fires in Toledo on Sunday left at least four families, including at least 13 children, homeless, authorities said. One of the blazes injured a firefighter.

The causes of the fires were under investigation, according to Toledo fire Lt. Matt Hertzfeld. It wasn't yet known if any of the fires were related.

"That many fires in one evening, the investigators are kind of pressed here to investigate that many fires," Lieutenant Hertzfeld said.

He said he expected the investigations to turn up some conclusions this morning.

The injured firefighter, whose name wasn't released, was battling in a fire at 512 Mettler St. in North Toledo. He was treated at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, Lieutenant Hertzfeld said.

There were no other injuries, he said.

Fire crews arrived at the Mettler fire at 4:14 a.m. Sunday. Three adults and three children had escaped unhurt from the burning house. Firefighters extinguished the fire in about 90 minutes.

The American Red Cross of Greater Toledo assisted the family.

The fire damage was estimated at $45,000, the fire lieutenant said.

The Lucas County auditor's Web site lists Samuel Wallace as the owner of the two-story wood frame house that was built in 1930.

Earlier Sunday morning, two adults and five children escaped unhurt from a house at 820 Lincoln Ave. in the central city.

Firefighters arrived at 3:50 a.m. and saw heavy fire coming from the living room on the first floor of the two-story wood-frame house. It took fire crews about 15 minutes to bring the blaze under control.

Damage from the fire was put at $61,000, according to the fire lieutenant.

The auditor's Web site lists Anthony Johnson as the owner of the house, which was built in 1877.

Another structure fire, at 829 Euclid Ave. in East Toledo, left an adult and five children homeless, the spokesman said.

The family wasn't home at the time of the fire, he said. They were later assisted by the Red Cross.

Firefighters arrived about 5:20 a.m. and brought the fire under control in about 10 minutes, Lieutenant Hertzfeld said.

Loss was put at $17,000.

Larry Jamra is listed as the owner of the two-story, partially brick house, which was built in 1909.

Yet another fire damaged an occupied house at 1259 Buckingham St. in the central city.

The Red Cross assisted a person who lived at that address, the fire lieutenant said.

The fire was reported about 12:50 a.m. Fire crews extinguished it in about 10 minutes. The damage was estimated at $7,500, he said.

The single-story, woodframe house is owned by Marilyn Steward of the same address, according to the Web site. The house was built in 1897.

Fire crews also extinguished a fire at an unoccupied house at 513 Segur Ave. in Toledo's South End. The fire was reported at 3:42 a.m. The loss was unknown.

The house is owned by Marvin Crittenden, according to the Web site. The two-story, wood-frame structure was built in 1863.

Contact Mike Sigov at: sigov@theblade.com, or 419-724-6089.