City boosts reward to $25,000 for information on fire-starters

Thirty-one vacant house fires in June and July are being investigated by the Toledo Fire and Rescue Investigative Unit. Several state and federal agencies were brought in to assist with the probe, Chief Wolever said.

"Our plea really goes out to our citizens, who are the eyes and ears of our investigators," Chief Wolever said.

The two chiefs asked people to report any suspicious behavior such as people entering abandoned homes or buying gasoline with a gas container when they are known not to own a car, lawn mower, or other small engine.

The city plans to devote considerable resources to catching the arsonist, the fire chief said.

That includes pairing police detectives with arson investigators and spending more time in neighborhoods where the fires have occurred.

"We know there are people out there with information about who is starting these fires," Chief Wolever said. "These are not individual instances. There is a connection between these fires and we need help in putting an end to them before someone is seriously harmed. We're hoping that by increasing the reward, someone will be compelled to come forward with information."

The reward had been increased from $5,000 to $10,000 last month, which was essentially more than doubling the money usually handed out for a successful Crime Stoppers tip. The number is 419-255-1111.

One suspicious fire was reported about 1:45 a.m. yesterday at 725 Wasaon St., between Segur and Western avenues, and spread to two houses, fire dispatchers said.

At least two buildings were destroyed, and the remains had to be knocked down by fire crews.

Firefighters also battled a blaze at 354 Langdon St.

Two boys were arrested in connection with a small fire in a vacant house at 1809 Broadway about 7 p.m. Thursday, police Sgt. William Wauford said.

Scott Burrell, 12, of Prouty Avenue, and Taveon Hodges, 13, of Orchard Street were taken into custody as they came out the back door. They were charged with arson and booked into the Juvenile Justice Center.

Among Ohio's six largest cities, Toledo last year had the most arsons per capita, according to federal statistics.

The addresses the unit is investigating include: 1009 Prouty, 527 Walden, 1101 Clark, 666 Arcadia, 966 Oak, 1450 Chester, 215 Delaware, 515 Church, 1460 Norwood, 738 Leonard, 2147 Elliott, 674 Bowman, 732 Plymouth, 434 South, 201 Knapp, 1941 Georgia, 2214 Chase, 1224 Page, 3345 Glenwood, 228 Leland, 861 McKinley, 916 Oak, 531 Potter, 413 Spring Grove, 1101 Norwood, 725 Western, 1131 Fernwood, 242 Langdon, 770 Orchard, 354 Langdon, and 421 Oak.

Contact Ignazio Messina at:

imessina@theblade.com

or 419-724-6171.