TOLEDO, Ohio — Whether it be accidental, arson, or left undetermined, Toledo Fire and Rescue Department has responded to a whole lot of fires lately.
As for why there's such an uptick? "There's really no rhyme or reason. There's times that we're busier than others, but these last couple weeks -- these last couple days as a matter of fact -- have been extremely busy for Toledo Fire," said TFRD Pvt. Sterling Rahe.
Rahe says in once instance, the cause of a house fire on West Sylvania Avenue earlier this week has been left undetermined. He says within 15 minutes from the initial 911 call, the house had burned and collapsed.
"In a fire like that where there's severe damage, investigators will still investigate obviously, but it's very hard to determine because everything has been destroyed. So in that case, that fire will probably remain undetermined," explained Rahe.
Rahe also said that his team has been working overtime due to a lack of firefighters.
Fortunately, 50 new recruits will start this Friday. Rahe said that 70% of this new class represents minorities including gender, making it the department's most diverse class ever.
"The diversity of this class is really fantastic. It's a reflection of this community," said Rahe.
The new class of recruits will be fully trained by October.
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