Fire damages two Toledo apartment buildings

The Associated Press

TOLEDO - Fire damaged two apartment buildings near the University of Toledo, burning about 250 people out of their homes, most of them students.

The university found temporary housing for 39 students while others moved in with friends or family, university spokesman Joe Brennan said Sunday. There were no injuries.

The fire began about 6 a.m. Saturday in the northeast corner of the privately owned, two-building complex, he said. It took about three hours for firefighters to contain it.

Firefighters have not determined the cause but have ruled out arson. No damage figure was available. The apartments of 39 people were destroyed, Brennan said.

Nearly 70 students will be out of their apartments for two to six weeks while the rest should be allowed back by early this week. Brennan said the university is providing housing for those who need it, including 94 staying at a local hotel at university expense.

Brennan said an academic task force also has been put together to accommodate students who may have lost books and materials because of the fire.