Fireworks suspected as cause of more than 100 being homeless…
I found out about the fire early this morning because one of my daughters lives near enough that at one point they were told to evacuate, she called me early this morning to let me know what was happening and that they might be heading over to my home. The media reporting on the fire has suggested that fireworks is the cause of the what the Blade said 11 buildings and 5 million dollars damage.
Fox Toledo states eight buildings were destroyed and and three others damaged as well as a discharged firework apparently landed on the roof as the suspected fire cause at this point.
WNO24 reported Lieutenant Michael Duran from the Toledo Fire Department says at least 12 buildings were damaged and the loss is estimated at $11 million.
WTOL states, 8 buildings were destroyed, including 120 units along with some of the residents vehciles, they are reporting 5 million dollars damage.
WTVG reported eleven units with twelve apartments in each unit burned. Some cars in nearby parking lots also caught fire or exploded and were destroyed. My daughter reported hearing mini-explosions, which probably was the cars.
Chief Mike Wolever says this was the biggest residential fire he has seen in his 30 years with the fire department and as stated it appears it was started by fireworks. Some have said fireworks were being set off inside of the hallway of the building but that has not yet been confirmed, an investigation into the fire is happening. Fireworks were also being set off outside, as many Toledo area residents experienced in their own neighborhoods last night. This apartment complex unit like many others has attic areas that are connected which creates a scenario where once a fire starts, it is easily spred.
My daughter also stated people lost pets in the blaze, that a few people were looking for their cats last night. In our situation all that resulted was a lack of sleep for a few hours, for many? They’ve lost everything personal possessions and even their cars. Unfortunately it always seems to take a situation like this before it becomes a huge focus. The law on fireworks is clear, it’s also clear we don’t have the ability for police to enforce it and several people have reported seeing police officers drive by where fireworks were being shot off at without stopping. There are very few places in the actual City where it could be stated it is safe to set off fireworks, those setting them off from their front porches in neighborhoods where homes are in a close proximity or apartment complexes like Hunters Ridge have been an accident waiting to happen for years now. It’s not just a Toledo problem, when we lived in a mobile home park outside of Toledo we dealt with this every year with the additional fear/knowledge of how quickly mobile homes go up in flames.
No matter how many laws we have, no matter how many police officers we have, it appears we can’t create common sense in the minds of some who don’t stop to think about the consequences of something as simple as fireworks…
And as I sit here, right over on Francis Avenue, they are setting off fireworks that are heading right towards my house and the house across the street from me. Evidently last night’s fire didn’t seem to make any difference at all as far as idiots stopping to think about discharging fireworks when homes are that close.
July 5th, 2008 at 10:04 pmBecause of those idiots you were referring to and the many who apparently can’t read a calendar to see that it is now July 5th, the only way to stop a lot of this is to make the sale of them illegal. Otherwise, there truly is no managing and stopping of this type of thing from happening year after year.
July 5th, 2008 at 10:59 pmI’d agree Kc, it’s clear that the minority of those who at least try to be responsible are outnumbered by the idiots. After I posted another group on Arlington shot off even larger ones that shook the whole neighborhood to the point that car alarms went off.
At the moment it’s quiet, maybe they finally ran out…
July 5th, 2008 at 11:06 pmwe made national news again…..
July 5th, 2008 at 11:44 pmYes, at least no one was hurt like in Iowa.
July 5th, 2008 at 11:53 pmI’m glad no one was hurt, but it’s horrible that all these people lost their homes because of idiots. Toledo Police should find the people responsible for the fire and Prosecute them.
July 6th, 2008 at 9:12 amWhile I agree that fireworks in populated areas can be dangerous, most people are acutely concerned with the explosive dangers, but don’t think about the fire hazard.
As a former police officer, I can tell you that fireworks complaints )on a 4th of July weekend especially) are a very low priority. With all the other “calls for service,” 911 response calls, and the pro-active measures taken to curb DUI’s etc; a citizen complaint about fireworks gets a low tasking priority by necessity. Likewise, if the cops on the street spent their days this weekend addressing the fireworks they heard or saw, nothing else would get done. This is an unfortunate reality. But, when something tragic happens, or it effects a citizen personally – the calls to “Do your Job!” “Enforce the law!” come out.
Would banning the sale of fireworks statewide help? Probably. Would it stop the problem? No. Not unless every boarder state likewise bans sale of fireworks, and we stop that pesky little thing called the internet.
Another prime example of tragedy sparking (bad pun) a cry for for regulation to legislate personal responsibility and behavior.
My heart and prayers go out to all effected by the fire.
TAHL
July 6th, 2008 at 10:53 amGee, just think of what could be done with “legally purchased legal fireworks” by someone with ill-intentions.
July 6th, 2008 at 12:08 pmI sure am glad I do not live in Oklahoma City!
No one was hurt, but where do these people live now? Some consolation prize. I feel sorry for those who lost their apartments to the jerks who set off the fireworks.
July 6th, 2008 at 2:01 pmAnother lesson here: the actions of others can, at any moment, affect your life. I hope that the families that were affected all had renter’s insurance. My husband is in the industry and this fire brings to mind another aprtment fire that happened in Maumee a few years back. He went out to the scene to check on his clients and worked with them to get them set up in a local motel (part of their renter’s coverage). So many of the people there though were not as fortunate and did not have any coverage.
Another issue this brings to light is the need for firewalls in apartment complexes. As stated in the original post, if the units have a common attic area, the whole place will go.
If anyone here hears of food collections, etc for these folks, please post on this blog. I would like to help.
July 6th, 2008 at 3:11 pmDid anyone see that story from Bradley University where roomates were shooting fireworks under each others doors as a “prank.” Obviously it did not end well.
July 6th, 2008 at 7:16 pmAn official at the scene said there were 11 officers working midnights in South Toledo Friday night-Saturday morning. Half were at the fire. He added that they also had to respond to the 5 a.m. shooting on Broadway.
July 6th, 2008 at 7:48 pmOne of my friends lost everything but his car in the fire. It’s pretty ridiculous.
July 6th, 2008 at 8:01 pmIt’s understandable after the fire, but most of those who set them off were doing so before then. We also know we don’t have enough police officers, our overtime budget is high and enforcement of calls reporting fireworks are not considered a priority. Which while understandable, also creates situations like the fire happening. With the exception of the few who reported police cars driving by where people were setting them off, it would be hard to argue that this is within the area of control of the officers on duty.
July 6th, 2008 at 8:02 pmAnother nasty import from China.
July 7th, 2008 at 8:24 am“story from Bradley University”
“Dahlquist’s roommates — Bradley soccer players Mentgen, David Crady and Ryan Johnson and a fourth friend, Daniel Cox — lit Roman candles and shoved them under Dahlquist’s bedroom door on the second floor of the house. Each was involved in the incident through obtaining the fireworks, lighting them or placing them under the door. After one didn’t go off, likely because the opening under the door was blocked, one of the men used a coat hanger to remove the blockage and at least one more Roman candle was shot under the door.”
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3466477
July 7th, 2008 at 9:07 amI want someone to explain to me why, if fireworks are illegal in Ohio, people can still buy them and shoot them off? It makes no sense.
July 7th, 2008 at 12:33 pmIt’s amazing that no one was seriously injured or killed. It’s a shame that the actions of a couple morons can have such a big effect. I hope that the people who caused this are caught.
This is one of the reasons why I stay home on the 4th of July. I’m fearful that one of the firecrackers that my neighbors set off will end up landing on my house and starting a fire. And I know that no one will even attempt to put it out.
I noticed there were a couple of spent firecrackers on the roof of my back porch, this morning. Have the feeling that was courtesy of the young boy who lives next door. (Grumble grumble… cuss).
July 7th, 2008 at 1:42 pmI know a few people that still do what my dad used to do, pick up all of the pieces of the fireworks and deposit them on the front porch or the front yard of those who set them off.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:49 pmRobin, I feel the same way. I make sure I am home before dark on July 4th.
Lisa, I love that idea. I’m sick of finding trash like that in my driveway.
As far as people and common sense, I gave up on that a long time ago. Cracks me up. People complain about the price of gas and they spend hundreds of dollars on fireworks. Might as well light your money on fire. Just go and watch what your tax dollars pay for. Just make sure it’s not in Iowa.
July 8th, 2008 at 10:29 am