Arson suspected at apartments

PERRYSBURG – A Perrysburg woman is in custody in connection with a fire that destroyed or heavily damaged
eight apartments at Perry Lake Village Apartments early Wednesday.
Chelsie Smothers, 19, was arrested on a charge of aggravated arson, a first degree felony, at
approximately 5:35 p.m. Wednesday by the Perrysburg Police Division and the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s
Office. She was arrested at the Police Division and is in custody at the Wood County Justice Center on
$50,000 bond.
Perrysburg Deputy Fire Chief Wade Johnson said this morning that Smothers was a resident of the building,
living in Apartment 5, where the fire started. He said there is no information available yet pertaining
to Smothers’ possible motive in starting the blaze, and the means by which she allegedly started the
fire are still under investigation.
Aid is continuing for those who were left homeless or displaced by the fire.
"Well, we do have a number of residents up in a couple hotels in the area until they can figure out
where they’re going to be staying if their place has been destroyed," said Chris Diefenthaler,
director of the Wood County District Office of the Greater Toledo Red Cross, Wednesday afternoon. She
said that a group of those whose apartments experienced smoke and water damage are waiting to see how
their residences fared. Some who were affected are being provided with a food and clothing allowance
from the Red Cross, while others are staying with family and friends.
"We have assisted a total of 18 people," Diefenthaler said, in 11 cases, including 17 adults
and one child. However, "more than that have been displaced" and have not asked for assistance
or contacted the Red Cross because they are staying with family and assessing what they are going to do.

The fire, which was reported shortly after midnight Wednesday morning by a Perrysburg Police officer,
destroyed or heavily damaged eight apartments in a unit which housed 24 apartments at 26773 Lake Vue
Drive. Perrysburg City, Perrysburg Township, and Maumee fire crews all responded to the scene.
Johnson said Wednesday afternoon that he had been told that the flames extended 30 feet from the roof of
the unit, and the fire could be easily seen from nearby Interstate 75.
Johnson said an additional two apartments received minor smoke or water damage, and he expects the
central unit of eight apartments to be deemed a total loss.
"We were guessing about $600,000, structure and contents," he said of a dollar amount for the
damage.
Both a fire wall built in the unit and fire crews "did a great job" of preventing the flames
from extending further than they did, said Johnson.
"It could have been a lot worse. Everybody got out safe."
Tara Starkey, who lives in one of the neighboring apartment units, said that she saw the flames while at
the nearby Kroger store on Carronade Drive.
"It was like an explosion," she said.
Emily Diepenbrock, a master’s student at Bowling Green State University, and her roommate, Matthew
Nickel, a senior at the university, are among those displaced by the blaze.
Diepenbrock said that she was studying for a test in her apartment, located at the rear of the unit, when
she smelled smoke.
Opening the door, she saw smoke everywhere. A police officer informed her that the building was on fire
and to get out. She and her pet pug, Lexie, got out safely. Nickel said that he was at a friend’s house
when he received Diepenbrock’s call about the fire.
"And by the time I got there I was watching the roof over our apartment just burning." The pair
sat and watched the fire for 45 minutes. He described the gathering of fire and law enforcement vehicles
at the scene, and residents crowding outside of their apartments.
"It was like silent chaos, kind of."
"And the fire was just huge," he said.
Diepenbrock was later told by police that their apartment was a total loss.
"We were back there earlier today" to pick up Diepenbrock’s car and go to the apartment
complex’s office, said Nickel.
"They weren’t letting anybody in," to apartments he said, and the pair had not been able to
survey the damage as of Wednesday afternoon.
"We had a really nice apartment," Diepenbrock said, noting that it had contained a plasma TV, a
Macintosh computer and a stereo, among other items. They had just gotten the apartment organized the way
they wanted it, she said, and now it’s gone. She and Nickels have lived there since August.
Though offered a place to stay the night by the Red Cross, the pair stayed with friends in Toledo.
Diepenbrock said they have already been assigned another apartment in the complex, "not that we have
anything to put in."
An employee at Perry Lake Village Apartments confirmed Wednesday afternoon that some residents are being
placed into other units at the complex, but could not provide a number.
Under the circumstances, Diepenbrock skipped her classes at the university and planned to go shopping for
clothing Wednesday "and just kind of play it by ear."