TOLEDO, Ohio — A home on Manor Street in Genoa is in ruin following a massive blaze that started the morning of Dec. 27.
The roof was almost completely burned away. Rubble could be seen through second-story windows.
While everyone inside was able to escape, the family realistically won't be able to return home for a long time.
The same morning, another fire raged on Prescott Street in Toledo; a complete loss. Only days before, on the night of Dec. 25, another fire on Fernwood Avenue in west Toledo took the life of a 9-year-old child.
These tragic incidents are just two in a series of major fires that have occurred across the northwest Ohio area in recent weeks.
"Well, we typically see an uptick in incidents, in fire incidents, in the winter months just because people are indoors now. We're doing things inside, we're not out as much as we were, we're keeping warm," TFRD's Pvt. Sterling Rahe said.
Rahe said that one of the biggest issues the department sees comes from people leaving things on, like stoves or electric heaters. He said that one of the smartest things you can do is to double-check all electronics and combustible items before leaving the house or going to bed.
"Most of it is just a little bit of attention. You have to pay attention to these things to keep you and your family safe", Rahe said.
While being mindful will help prevent fires, only one thing will let you know if a fire has already started. Smoke alarms are how the family in the Genoa fire managed to get out of their home safely.
Rahe echoes their statements, saying that if you choose to rely on your senses instead, it might already be too late.
"That early warning is key, fires spread very rapidly, very quickly, in these instances, these are early morning fires where people are asleep, again that early warning is the difference between life and death," Rahe explained.