Kitchen fire causes evacuation of Toledo high-rise apartment building

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - An unattended cooking fire forced the evacuation early Wednesday morning of a high-rise apartment building in Toledo.

Total loss for the fire at the Covenant Apartment building in the 700 block of N. Erie is estimated at $83,000, and 18 residents are being assisted by the Red Cross after being displaced by the fire.

Toledo Fire & Rescue received several 911 calls just after 2:30 a.m. reporting black smoke on the eighth floor of the apartment building. While some residents made their way to safety, some callers said they were trapped on the eighth floor due to heavy smoke.

Crews made entry into the structure and went to the eighth floor, where they found heavy black smoke. They began forcing entry into several of the apartments and assisted occupants with their evacuation.

Attack crews made entry into one apartment and found a kitchen fire that was quickly extinguished.

Crews began ventilating the eighth floor by using electric fans, allowing residents from units on floors 1-7 to safely return to their apartments. Residents on the eighth floor have been displaced.

Smoke alarms were present and did alert.

One resident was treated at the scene for a medical condition and transported to the hospital in stable condition for further treatment. There were no other injuries reported.