Couple displaced after South Toledo home fire

11/25/2013

A South Toledo couple was displaced after a fire today destroyed their home on Hargrave Road.

The fire at 221 Hargrave Rd. started at about 6:15 a.m., officials said.

Fire Lt. Matthew Hertzfeld said smoke alarms woke the couple, who were sleeping. The couple tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher before calling 911, the lieutenant said.

The well-advanced fire forced crews to, shortly after they arrived, make a defensive attack on the blaze.

The lieutenant said fighting the fire was complicated by downed power lines in the backyard and a damaged gas meter.

The couple were not injured and Red Cross was called to provide assistance. Several animals were inside the home and on the property – cats, dogs, and raccoons – the lieutenant said. The fate of the animals was not known.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Damage to the property, built in 1969, is estimated at $65,200.