Fires minutes apart damage apartment building, house

7/9/2012

Separate fires damaged a 12-unit apartment building in southwest Toledo and a single-family house in central Toledo within about 10 minutes of each other early Sunday, authorities said.

No one was injured in either fire, according to the Toledo Fire Department.

All residents had fled unhurt when fire crews responded to a 3:24 a.m. call to the apartment building at 2611 Briar Lane, off Heatherdowns Boulevard.

They found heavy flames in the attic of a four-unit section of the building, fire Lt. Larry Armstrong said.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control in about 30 minutes, the lieutenant said. An arson investigator was summoned to the scene.

The American Red Cross Greater Toledo Area Chapter assisted the occupants with emergency housing, the lieutenant said.

No one was home when firefighters arrived at 3389 Woodrow Blvd. to fight a small kitchen fire reported at 3:34 a.m. Lieutenant Armstrong said the fire appeared to have started on the stove and was brought under control within 10 minutes.

Lucas County records list Esther and Homer Willis as owners of the two-story wood-frame house, which records show was built in 1920.

As of late Sunday afternoon, damage estimates were unavailable for either fire. Causes for both remained under investigation.