Multiple people rescued, hospitalized after Toledo apartment fire

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Firefighters rescued multiple residents and transported some to local hospitals Saturday night after a fire broke out at their apartment building.

It happened just after 6 p.m. at the Cedars Apartments on Central Avenue.

Fire officials confirmed at least two people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. They rescued 8 residents through windows of the building.

16 people were displaced throughout eight units, fire officials said.

“They were leaning out their windows calling for help,” said Pvt. Sterling Rahe of Toledo Fire & Rescue. “Crews started coming in one after another to rescue folks from their apartments and bring them down.”

Rahe said smoke traveled up the hallways and blocked the stairways for people in the upper units.

Reginald Harper has lived at the apartments for 22 years and was rescued Saturday. He said the experience was terrifying.

“I open up my door and all I see is black smoke,” Harper said. “I slammed the door, ran into the bathroom and grabbed a wet towel. I got to the door, and by that time, my apartment was filling up with smoke.”

Officials are investigating the possibility that someone started the fire.

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