В Толедо горит обугленный мусор от пожара уже более четырех месяцев

Debris still sits more than four months after a Toledo house fire TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - April 18, 2026 is a day the Winkler Family will never forget. While out of town, Megan Winkler said she got a call in the early-morning hours that her house on Midwest Avenue in Toledo was on fire. The huge flames destroyed everything inside and several pets were killed. “We lost everything in it,” Winkler said. “There were precious memories. My daughter’s baby books, first footprint. It was pretty much anything you could think of we had we lost.” Next door neighbor Russ Hummel said it was a terrifying scene. Another neighbor, Joe Krum, said he could feel the heat of the flames from across the street. But more than four months later, the pile of charred debris is still there. “We’re experiencing flies. I’ve killed two rats,” Hummel said. “The place is infested with those lanternflies.” Hummel said he’s now dealing with the aftermath. This week he took matters into his own hands and mowed the yard. “First thing we do is open our windows and see this mess out here,” Krum said. Krum added he’s worried that a curious kid will get hurt in the pile. The neighborhood is off West Alexis, across the street from Washington Local Schools. When 13 Action News visited the scene on Monday, caution tape was still up in front of the debris. Hummel, Krum and other neighbors want to know why the pile hasn’t been cleared away. “It’s been very frustrating to not be getting answers, to have it be this long,” Winkler said. The Winklers are responsible for cleaning up the pile. But, with the fire still under investigation, the Winklers claim their insurance company can’t review the cost to haul it away. The family also said their home was demolished without their knowledge. They feel they’ve been left in the dark and they’re stuck until the investigation is complete. Yet, the City of Toledo and the fire department said the ball is in the Winkler family’s court. Here’s the response from the city: There is no holdup on the City’s or Toledo Fire & Rescue Department’s end regarding the cleanup of the property. The City has been working with the property owners to give them an opportunity to complete the cleanup privately without City intervention. Part of the delay has been due to the owners waiting for their insurance company’s fire write-up report. The City has also reached out to the owners twice recently and left two voicemails, but those calls have not been returned. If the City does not hear back from the property owners by the end of this week, the City will move forward with adding the address to its hauling list. If that occurs, the City will still need to complete the necessary permitting and coordinate environmental compliance before cleanup can begin. Due to these required steps, the actual cleanup is not expected to begin until at least mid- to late September. In a follow-up message, a spokesperson said: Nuisance orders were issued on May 4, 2026, requiring the removal of debris from the property. Following the fire, the property was determined to be structurally unsafe, and the City proceeded with an emergency demolition to address the safety concern. Ron DiBacco, a fire investigator with TFRD, had this statement: The homeowner requested and was sent a copy of the fire incident report, for 5846 Midwest, on or around 04/22/2026. This fire incident report is the only report required by most insurance companies before claims be will paid. The property [removal of debris] is the responsible of the homeowner and/or insurance company. The homeowner’s insurance company never contacted the Toledo Fire Prevention Bureau to submit a FOIA request for the fire incident report at 5846 Midwest. The investigative report is not complete due to evidence still be processed. DiBacco also said the investigation in ongoing but couldn’t say for how long. Adding, it’s handled by an outside agency. Despite the caution tape, DiBacco said the property was released to the Winkler’s which means they can go on the property and clean it up. Until this is resolved, Hummel and Krum are caught in the middle. “It definitely seems like there’s been a halt in any progress. I don’t really know what to do,” Hummel said. The Winklers said they just want to close this chapter. Latest Local News | First Alert Weather | Crime | National | 13abc Originals Copyright 2026 WTVG. All rights reserved.