Cornelius Gardner, 27, is accused of setting fire to items inside a structure on Lucas Street. Two firefighters were taken to the hospital after a roof collapsed.
TOLEDO, Ohio — A man was arrested Monday and charged with three counts of aggravated arson for allegedly intentionally starting a fire in central Toledo last month that injured two firefighters.
According to court documents, Cornelius Gardner, 27, of Toledo, is accused of setting fire to items in a structure on Lucas Street just before 4 a.m. on July 29.
He made his initial appearance in Toledo Municipal Court, where a judge set his bond at $250,000. He is scheduled to be back in court for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 20.
Toledo Fire and Rescue said two firefighters were injured after being hit by falling debris. According to court documents, the roof failed and nearly crushed the firefighters.
Investigators said the falling debris also caused contusions and abrasions to the arm of at least one of the injured firefighters. Court documents state the roof collapse also caused the air supply to fail for at least one of the firefighters, “exposing the victim to the smoke filled environment.”
TFRD said the two injured firefighters were taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
According to TFRD, crews arrived on scene and reported heavy black smoke showing from a commercial building.
“An attack crew began interior operations while additional units arrived to support the response,” Toledo fire said in a press release on July 29.
TFRD said heavy fire was seen coming from the roof of the building, which was described as a series of connected, single-story commercial structures. A ladder truck began an elevated attack to fight the flames.
This article was published by Troy Gingerich (WTOL) on 2025-08-12 15:06:00
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