Woman dies after South Toledo house fire

2/22/2009
BLADE STAFF

A woman hurt in a fire in her South Toledo house Saturday has died, Toledo police said.

Betty Leonharat, 56, was taken to the University of Toledo Medical Center, the former Medical College of Ohio Hospital, where she later died, police said.

Firefighters were called to her house at 2963 Rocksberry Ave. near Stengel Avenue, about 10:15 p.m. and found heavy smoke coming from the two-story brick house.

Ms. Leonharat is the second person in Toledo to die in a house fire in two days.

The body of Charline Spearman, 52, was found by firefighters called to her house at 331 Austin St. about 2:30 a.m. Friday.

The preliminary cause of death of Ms. Spearman was smoke inhalation, but an exact cause is pending toxicology reports.

Ms. Spearman had been bedridden for three years, authorities said.

Article appeared in earlier editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com.

1 person hurt in fire in South Toledo home

One person was taken to the hospital from a house fire Saturday night in the 2900 block of Rocksberry Avenue near Stengel Avenue in South Toledo.

Firefighters were dispatched to the blaze about 10:15 p.m. They arrived to find heavy smoke coming from a two-story brick house.

Within 15 minutes, firefighters called for a life squad to transport a victim found in the house to the University of Toledo Medical Center.

The severity of the injuries was unknown.

The battalion chief in command asked for a fire investigator to report to the scene.