Vacant North Toledo building destroyed; arson suspected

Fire officials suspect arson was the cause of the fire that destroyed a former North Toledo bowling alley and night club. Crews leveled the building Saturday.

Fire officials suspect arson as the cause of a massive fire Friday night that destroyed a vacant commercial building at Lagrange and Park streets in North Toledo.

The fire was reported at about 10:25 p.m. and raged well into Saturday morning. Heavy fire in the roof about 11:10 p.m. caused the battalion chief in command to order all firefighters out of the building, a former bowling alley and nightclub.

City crews later knocked down the building's charred ruins, said Fire Lt. Mike Armstrong.

Lieutenant Armstrong said the fire remains under investigation and arson is suspected.

A neighbor told The Blade she heard an explosion in the building at about the time the fire began. The explosion shook her house about a block away.