Fire destroys 3 vacant houses in South Toledo
7/24/2014Three vacant homes on Harding Street in South Toledo were destroyed in an early-morning fire today.
Firefighters were called to 1042 Harding at 1:43 a.m. for a vacant house that was fully engulfed in flames, said fire Lt. Matthew Hertzfeld. Because of the heavy fire, crews were put on the defensive to try and limit exposure on either side of the house. The fire did spread to neighboring vacant properties at 1038 and 1044 Harding, the lieutenant said.
Two of the houses, 1042 and 1044, collapsed. More than $17,000 damage was done to 1038 Harding, Lieutenant Hertzfeld said.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The property at 1038 is a single-story residence built in 1892; the property is valued at $17,300 and it is owned by the Lucas County Land Reutilization Corporation, also known as the Lucas County Land Bank.
The property at 1042, a foreclosure, was a one-story house valued at $18,700; it is owned by Chris Garcia, of Collingwood Boulevard.
The property at 1044 was a single-story residence built in 1897; the property was valued at $15,500; it is also owned by the Lucas County Land Bank.