Downtwon Toledo warehouse damaged by blaze

CTY fire13p 07/11/09 The Blade/Dave Zapotosky Caption: Toledo firefighters spray water on a fire at a warehouse building at Erie and Newton streets in Toledo, Ohio, Monday, July 13, 2009.

Toledo firefighters spray water on a blaze, caused by a ruptured gas main, that heavily damaged a vacant commercial building at South Erie and Newton streets adjacent to the Warehouse District near downtown. When we got here, the building was fully involved, and it was too dangerous to get inside, Battalion Chief Jerry Abair said. The building at 518 South Erie occupies an entire block at South Erie and Newton.

The fire was reported about 5:30 a.m. Monday, and by about 8:15 a.m. it was largely extinguished, having been fought by crews on four aerial ladder trucks and eight fire engines. Authorities said the burned parts of the building are to be torn down after power lines to the building are cut so demolition workers can gain access. The building is owned by St. Clair Street Station LLC, according to the Lucas County auditor s Web site. No dollar estimate of the damage was available Monday, Chief Mike Wolever said.