By Zack Lemon
The Blade
TOLEDO, Ohio — A South Toledo neighborhood is reeling after an early morning fire at Woodlands Apartments killed three adults and a child and displaced about 60 residents.
The bodies of two adult men, an adult woman, and a 5-year-old boy were discovered as crews investigated the 12-unit apartment building that caught fire at 2403 Cheyenne Blvd. Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims.
As many as 60 people living in the building where the fire originated and two adjacent buildings were displaced.
“We were pretty successful in keeping it to that center building,” Toledo Fire Chief Luis Santiago said. “There was plenty more to burn. The firefighters did a great job.”
Witnesses said the blaze began in a middle-floor apartment of the three-story, 12-unit building and that they were alerted to the fire about 4:20 a.m.
Building resident Tammy Miller said a young man ran through the building banging on doors to awaken residents and get them out.
“If that boy hadn’t made it out, we would have all been dead,” she said.
Donita McWilliams was asleep on the first floor when she heard someone shouting and pounding on doors. She took her two kids safely out of the apartment building, and now wants to know who it was that was shouting. “I sure want to thank him,” she said.
Erica Patterson, a resident of the building that caught fire, was doing her hair early Sunday when she heard a commotion outside.
Thinking it was a fight, she peeked out her window, but had trouble seeing out the windows of her first-floor apartment. She realized there was a fire when the doorknob was hot, and the second floor came crashing down above her.
“By the grace of God I was awake,” Mrs. Patterson said. “If I wasn’t awake, we probably would’ve been stuck in there.”
She got her three children and husband out through the patio door.
Marnell Cortland, who lives across the parking lot from the burned apartment building, saw at least two children tossed from balconies into the arms of people on the ground. He did not see anyone leaving the building.
Three occupants die in early morning apartment fire. 2nd alarm requested to battle the blaze. TFRD & state investigators looking into cause. pic.twitter.com/Yk09T4whlS
— Toledo Fire Rescue (@ToledoFire) January 15, 2017
Fire crews remained on the scene through the afternoon, continuing to chase hot spots and demolish the remains.
The Toledo Fire Department’s arson unit, with assistance from the State Fire Marshal’s Office, is investigating a cause for the blaze, which could take some time.
“This is going to be a pretty tough investigation,” Lt. Matthew Hertzfeld said, citing the partial collapse of the building as a complicating factor.
Much of the investigation will take place through interviews with witnesses, Chief Santiago said.
The only reported injury was to an unidentified woman who broke her leg leaping from a balcony.
The Lucas County Coroner’s Office expects to perform autopsies on the four victims Tuesday.
Shelter assistance was available overnight at the Wolf Creek YMCA, American Red Cross of Northwest Ohio executive director Rachel Hepner-Zawodny said, and her agency will be working with the displaced residents in the coming days.
Unfortunately we must report a 4th body has been found at the fire scene on Cheyenne Blvd-crews continue their difficult task pic.twitter.com/uC6rBNcXgP
— Toledo Fire Rescue (@ToledoFire) January 15, 2017
At least 40 people came through the shelter throughout the day, she said, though she was anticipating many displaced residents would stay with friends and family. This is the most people the local Red Cross has assisted since the Lake Township tornadoes in 2010, she said.
The Red Cross is not accepting donations of supplies at this time, but interested parties can contribute money to the local Red Cross, which keeps all funds in the area, she said.
Copyright 2017 The Blade