Fire tragedy’s ramifications still smoldering
Written by Mark Hensch | | news@toledofreepress.comCity threatens to fine victims if debris not cleared
Though Barbie and Herman Harrison’s house has lain in ruins for two weeks, the controversy surrounding its demise is just heating up.
As first reported in Toledo Free Press, a June 9 fire engulfed their 1945 Mt. Vernon Ave. residence, razing it to the ground. In three and a half hours, 29 years of memories were reduced to ash.
The couple is now living in a rented room at Maumee’s Residence Inn.
“This is a safety issue and people’s lives and homes are at stake,” said Barbie, the president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Ohio. “It is not about Herman and me anymore. Everyone deserves to be safe in their homes.”
Her voice is catching ears. Lucas County Commissioner and Democratic mayoral candidate Ben Konop gave a press conference about the incident 10 a.m. June 19 at Toledo’s One Government Center, criticizing the City of Toledo’s firefighting procedures. Citing 4-inch water mains of “inadequate” size, he called for better city management of piping and fire hydrants in the future.
“The Harrisons are outstanding citizens and are the kind of people a community should be built around,” Konop said after the conference. “This tragedy could have been averted. I think if they had the proper water supply they could have put this fire out regardless of the cause.”
Toledo Fire Department Fire Chief Michael Wolever said fire investigators had not yet determined the inferno’s cause. In the case of the Mt. Vernon fire, he said, the 4-inch water mains onsite could do little to halt an already advanced conflagration. He said he worried political rumblings over the fire would add additional harm to the situation.
Barbie Harrison
“Quite frankly, knowing what kind of main is there does not tell me everything about the fire,” he said. “The size of a water main should not frighten people. Anybody who tries to instill fear into the public is irresponsible.”
Konop said June 21 water mains and their hydrants were a legitimate concern. He said at an earlier time Toledo had color-coded fire hydrants which warned firefighters what size main they were tapping into. Following a beautification project during current Mayor Carty Finkbeiner’s first term, he said, nothing distinguishes one hydrant’s main from another.
“National firefighting standards recommend color-coding of fire hydrants,” Konop said. “We are going to try notifying people so they are equipped to find a six or eight-inch main.”
Canvassing neighborhoods
As of June 22, the Konop campaign has canvassed neighborhoods over 4-inch mains, notifying residents about the fire safety services they receive from the city.
Konop said Toledo’s failure in fighting the Harrisons’ fire stems from choices made under Finkbeiner and former Fire Chief Mike Bell. As he sees it, policies implemented under each hurt Toledo firefighting.
“The city under Mayor Finkbeiner and Mike Bell made the job more difficult for firefighters,” he said.
Bell, who served as Ohio’s state fire marshal and who is also running for mayor, said June 23 during his time as fire chief, rescuers’ chief priority was getting water regardless of the size of water main. He said hydrant painting and main size fell under the jurisdiction of Toledo’s water department rather than its fire department.
“I would say it is a far stretch to accuse a person who has not been fire chief for two years of something happening currently in the city,” Bell said June 23. “We didn’t have these issues bouncing around in the press when I was chief, so why would I be responsible for something happening now?”
Hot issue
The issue has filtered down from the mayoral race to the Toledo City Council race. Council candidates Stephen Ward and Terry Biel each released news releases calling for fire safety protocol changes. The two candidates expressed sympathy for the Harrisons’ loss.
“I don’t think it is time for either mayoral or city council candidates to point fingers at each other,” Ward said June 23. “I just think everyone needs to work together to rectify the situation.”
“This house is never coming back,” Biel said June 23. “It is important to be sensitive toward that and compassionate towards that.”
Ward said he advocates checking fire hydrants yearly as well as a return to a color-coding system. He also said all hydrants should possess 3 feet of obstruction clearance for ease of use by firefighters.
Biel said he intends on mapping Toledo’s entire hydrant and piping infrastructure in a Google map.
Other woes
The Harrisons, meanwhile, have other woes. Barbie said June 19 Toledo’s Department of Neighborhoods sent them a letter June 12. In it, she said, the Department offered the Harrisons a 72-hour grace period. After this expired, she said, the rubble of their house would receive a $300 fine each day thereafter as a public nuisance. Calling the notice “sad,” she said it offended her given her current situation.
“At a time like this I will not tolerate this,” Barbie said. “I think people are so worried about their jobs they are just following the letter. The human element is not there.”
Toledo Manager of Code Enforcement Bob Mossing called the notice “routine” city practice after any fire. As of June 23, he said, the Harrisons had incurred no fines despite the house’s rubble remaining after the leniency period.
“We want the debris cleared as quickly as possible in a timely fashion,” Mossing said. “It is a risk to other people in the neighborhood. In this particular circumstance, there are extenuating circumstances.”
Mossing said although property owners were responsible for debris on their property after a fire, most insurance companies typically paid for a cleanup. He said the owners in question can pay the city for removal.
Mayoral panel
Finkbeiner announced in a June 22 news release the formation of a three-person panel created for investigating the blaze. Former Indianapolis (Indiana) International Airport Fire Chief William Kramer, University of Toledo College of Engineering associate civil engineering professor Doug Nims and Principle Developer for Health Services Design Group Doni Miller make up the panel, it said. The release said the group was expected to file an independent review of the fire in 14 days.
“This is a chance to serve the city,” said Nims June 23. “Hopefully I can make some useful recommendations that are applicable for the future.”
Regardless of the outcome, the Harrisons contend the fire has tempered their resolve. The pair agrees their plight can help improve safety all over the city of Toledo.
“We’re not politicians, we’re concerned citizens,” Barbie said June 19. “We are homeless because of someone’s negligence. Something has to be done. I think the city does not have a choice.”
“This is not just important for us,” Herman agreed. “Fire does not discriminate. We would like to see the City and its Fire Department become proactive to solve this.”
