Arson destroys house, leaves family homeless

10/12/2010

A family became homeless Monday when an arson fire destroyed its central-city house, authorities said.

No one was home when fire crews arrived about 8:45 a.m. and saw flames and smoke coming from the house at 939 Blum St., near North Hawley Street, and began dousing the blaze, Toledo Fire Investigator Dale Pelz said.

Firefighters extinguished the fire — which at one point was raging in the attic of the single-story, wood-frame house — and left the scene by 12:15 p.m. The home, valued at $12,000, was a total loss, a fire dispatcher said. Mr. Pelz said the fire was ruled an arson.