Fire rubble at Sylvania Twp. apartment complex draws in pests

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - It’s been nearly nine months since a massive fire tore through the Hunt Club Apartments in Sylvania Township, yet the burned-out shell of the building still stands.

“It’s been since late July, and it’s still out and open,” a former resident, who did not wish to be identified, told 13abc.

Some residents say the rubble has drawn in pests, like stray cats and insects. The former resident told 13abc, because the units surrounding the fire were unsafe to enter, some of her neighbors were not able to retrieve their pets or belongings.

“It ended up getting boarded up, and I don’t think they could get any of their stuff,” said the former resident, who lived at the Hunt Club from early 2020 to November 2022.

She said the condition of the complex, as well as lack of communication from the leasing office, prompted her to move.

“We got a new a manager, and she basically wouldn’t answer any of our calls or open the door ... she would lock her door and just say no appointments, no walk-ins.”

13abc reached out to Summerset Plaza LLC, which owns the Hunt Club. The regional manager said the company has been battling with their insurance to get demolition started, but there is no timeline for when the building will come down. Summerset Plaza LLC declined to comment any further.

“Maybe just try to push for that to be torn down quicker, because the residents around it... it’s probably affecting them a lot,” said the former resident.

According to the fire report from the Sylvania Township Fire Department, the cause of the fire was determined to be “improper discarding of smoking material” in mulch. More than 30 units were impacted by the fire, which began in Building 8.

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