Early morning house fire displaces 9 people

12/24/2013

Nine people, including five children, became homeless when a fire of electrical origin damaged their house in East Toledo early today, authorities said.

There were no injuries, Toledo fire Battalion Chief John Kaminski said.

The occupants of the house at 1229 Oak St. had escaped unhurt by the time fire crews arrived about 1:20 a.m. and saw smoke. The occupants were alerted to the fire when some of them heard a popping sound coming from a wall and then smelled smoke, Chief Kaminski said.

The crews attacked the fire and had it under control within 10 minutes.

The fire was caused by an electrical short in the wall, Chief Kaminski said. He put the damage estimate at $2,000, most of which was from smoke.

There were no working smoke detectors in the house, the battalion chief said.

The American Red Cross was at the scene to assist the fire victims.

The official Lucas County Auditor's Web site lists Chicago Title Co. as the owner of the two-story wood frame house. It was built in 1887.