TOLEDO, Ohio — A house was reduced to rubble Monday afternoon as a blaze tore through the structure in the 800 block of Sylvania Avenue, though no major injuries were reported.
Fire crews were working to prevent the fire from spreading around 4 p.m. Monday. Damage to siding on a house next door in the west Toledo neighborhood was observed.
The house from which the fire originated was being renovated and the house firefighters were working to keep safe from the neighboring flames was occupied, crews at the scene said.
A woman who lives in the house next door said her three sons just got home from school when the fire happened. Tina Boyd said her sons knew what to do when the fire happened.
The family can’t stay there tonight because there is a hole in the roof and water damage.
“It’s not livable right now as they have torn a hole in the roof because the fire started in the attic from the fire next door," Boyd said. "So I’m just praying that we will have safety for tonight and be able to possibly get this rectified and have somewhere that we can be put up or establish another residence.”
The call about the fire came in at 3:30 p.m. as a 911 caller reported seeing flames inside on the first floor and heavy smoke, Toledo Fire and Rescue Department Pvt. Sterling Rahe said.
The fire was driven by the wind, Rahe said, and the structure became "fully involved" in about 10 minutes. Flames spread to the house next door.
The house was deemed a total loss and it was unclear immediately whether the home was vacant or not. No civilians were injured in the fire. Rahe said a couple of firefighters were treated for minor burns.
