Cleanup at the south Toledo site of the deadly Brent Industries explosion is entering its final phase, nearly seven weeks after twin blasts killed two workers and leveled much of the industrial laundry and recycling facility.
The explosions struck around 5 a.m. on August 18 during a shift change at the South Avenue plant, killing 46-year-old Heladio Garcia Perez and 64-year-old Mary Allen. More than 100 firefighters responded as flames consumed the building, whose roof was destroyed and walls blown out. Crews also contended with mineral spirits and other industrial hazards stored at the textile reconditioning facility. Federal OSHA investigators are still working to determine a cause, and no official explanation has been announced.
Cleanup crews are now awaiting waste test results to determine how debris and materials from the site can be legally disposed of. Public records reviewed by WTOL show firefighters responded to five fires at the facility between 2021 and 2025, and a 2025 inspection cited violations including a sprinkler system deficiency. Records also show delinquent property taxes and more than $861,000 owed in city utilities.