February 28, 200817 yr Awesome town, but: :wtf: This building along with an entire city block was destroyed by fire last night. It also includes the Kaminsky Jewelers photo.
February 28, 200817 yr http://www.myfoxtoledo.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5896432&version=17&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1 :(
February 28, 200817 yr Wow.. now I feel bad for saying that... I just read that article and the pictures bring back memories of when I lived in New Jersey. It's sad to lose a part of a town to fire. It really is sad. :-(
February 28, 200817 yr Big blaze ravages downtown Fostoria By MARIAH MERCER and CHANDRA NIKLEWSKI FOSTORIA REVIEW TIMES FOSTORIA — Five fire departments battled a big blaze Wednesday night that was ravaging a block of downtown business buildings in Fostoria. At least seven Fostoria businesses on and near the 100 block of South Main Street were affected. Apartments above some of the stores also were burning. No injuries were reported. The Findlay, Washington Township, Tiffin and Bascom Joint fire departments assisted the Fostoria Fire Department. The fire apparently started about 6:30 p.m. in a building at the corner of Tiffin and Main streets. The building houses Fitness and Nutrition by Brett, owned by Brett Cousin, plus Lincoln Mortgage and D's Body Shop. The blaze then spread to adjoining, connected buildings that stretch a half-block on Main between Tiffin and Center streets. A crowd of more than 100 gathered in the downtown, many snapping photos with cameras and cell phones, as snow fell on the burning buildings. At 8:08 p.m. firefighters announced they were taking a defensive position and that the fire was on the third floor of the Kaminsky building at 120 S. Main St. and spreading. Flames burst through the exterior walls of that building at 8:16 p.m. The fire then traveled to the east. At 10:30 p.m., flames erupted from the east side of another, connected building that faces Center Street. The Kaminsky family, owner of Kaminsky and Son Jewelers, pulled jewelry and other merchandise from their building on Main Street until firefighters told them to leave the scene. Cousin also attempted to get into his building to save what he could of his new business, but was denied access. "I tried to get them to let me go in and get my filing cabinet, but no way," Cousin said. Keith Owen, owner of the former Doug's Tavern on Tiffin Street, said he unlocked that building for firefighters at 6:42 p.m. "When I opened the door, the place was loaded with smoke. I was gagging." According to Owen, the upper levels of all the buildings are connected and there are no fire walls. Fostoria law director and local attorney Tim Hoover came to check on his law office, which directly faces the burning buildings. "I came up to check that I still have a law office," he said. "I'm worried about my office, but I feel even worse for the Kaminskys." Clay Wolph, owner of Wolph Chiropractic, also across from the blaze, was on hand too. "We were in our offices ... and at about 6:30 p.m. we smelled something like incense," Wolph said. Joan Nelson contributed to this report. http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2008/Feb/28/ar_news_022808_story1.asp Photo slideshow at: http://www.thecourier.com/multimedia/Fostoria%20Fire/publish_to_web/index.html
February 28, 200817 yr I think what's sad is that people on this forum who've never been to Fostoria care about it more than the locals who left it empty for some big-box retail. There's a good deal of solid architecture, but much of it has just been left sitting empty.
February 28, 200817 yr Where/how do you find these towns!? Some of these towns look like they could be out of the 50's.
February 28, 200817 yr Where/how do you find these towns!? Some of these towns look like they could be out of the 50's. You mean they aren't? :?
February 28, 200817 yr Some of these towns look like they could be out of the 50's. Sadly, if they were straight out of the 50's, most would be much more vibrant and active.
February 28, 200817 yr This is a sad story. I was born in Fostoria and the building beside Kaminsky's was where every kid in town went to buy shoes and everything Fostoria Redmen. I used to walk down this block all the time...I can't believe it's gone.
February 28, 200817 yr There was a big fire in downtown Fostoria last night. Here is a link to an early story with few details. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/02/28/fostoria.html?sid=101
February 28, 200817 yr Yeah...buzzing... "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 29, 200817 yr I loathe these faux-Tidewater drive-thru bank branches that have plagued small town downtowns over the past 15 years.
February 29, 200817 yr http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080229/NEWS17/802290356/-1/NEWS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article published February 29, 2008 Fostoria faces tough recovery as fire destroys several firms By MIKE SIGOV BLADE STAFF WRITER FOSTORIA - The mayor of Fostoria is looking to Wauseon for advice about how to minimize the damage done to the downtown business district by a fire Wednesday that burned out of control for hours in three adjoining buildings. Several people were evacuated from the stores and residences above them when the fire was reported. No one was hurt by the blaze that eventually consumed a half-block. Gutted businesses included Nutrition and Fitness by Brett, Kaminsky Jewelers, Lincoln Mortgage Corp., and Fired Up Ceramics. "I might as well not reinvent the wheel," Mayor John Davoli said. "I know they've done a great job in Wauseon … and I'd like to get some pointers from them." Mayor Davoli was referring to an arson fire in April, 2007, that destroyed a half-block that housed several businesses in downtown Wauseon. "This is a step backward," Mayor Davoli said yesterday, standing across the street from the charred, two to three-story business/residential buildings that have stood at the northeast corner of South Main and Tiffin streets for more than a century. Of the three structures, the one closest to the intersection was still smoking. "We'll just continue to do the best we can to get [the businesses] up and running as soon as possible," the mayor said. "We're trying to find places downtown to relocate them and find the backup money." He said he was certain one of the shops had no insurance. The shop - Fired Up Ceramics at 1118 South Main St. - is co-owned by Nannette Schroder, 35, one of the extended family of seven left homeless after the blaze damaged their residence over the first-floor shop, Ms. Schroder said. "I am OK now," she said yesterday. "But last night, I cried for hours and hours. But when I saw my [two] kids sleeping curled up on the couch at my mom's house, I felt so blessed." That was after Ms. Schroder learned about the fire from a phone call she received at a Findlay automotive parts production plant where she works. She rushed back to Fostoria, where she found her two children, Morgan Drouillard, 3, and Richard John Drouillard III, 5, safe. Yesterday, she was recalling her story in the lobby of the American Red Cross office - just across the street from the fire scene - where she waited for her nephew, Zach Lamberjack, and his girlfriend, Megan Allsup, both 18, to stop by. Both lived above the businesses before the fire forced them to stay with relatives in Fostoria, she said. Ms. Allsup said she was home alone when the fire started. She smelled smoke, "then I saw that the storage room was filled with smoke. I looked out of the window, saw police downstairs, and got out." Assisted by police and Mr. Lamberjack, who was across the street, she managed to get the family's two dogs out, but the cat was still missing yesterday, she said. It was still unclear yesterday how and where the fire started. The damage was "at least" hundreds of thousands of dollars, the mayor said after he met with fire officials. Most likely, at least one of the three buildings - the one at the corner - is going to be demolished, he said. Contact Mike Sigov at: [email protected]
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