'Fast moving' fire destroys Jackson Township home, killing family of 4
JACKSON TWP. ‒ A fire that swept through a home in the 4300 block of Skycrest Drive NW early Sunday killed four people inside.
According to the news release, the fire department was called at 12:16 a.m. to reports of a “whole houseengulfed in flames."
"Upon arrival, it was fully involved," said Fire Chief Tim Berczik. "Heavy, heavy fire involvement. We got the fire knocked down pretty quick."
As of Sunday afternoon, Berczik withheld the names of the four victims because relatives had yet to be contacted. Neighbors said the family included two children.
A woman who visited the scene identified herself as a teacher at Jackson Memorial Middle School and said two of the victims were students, a boy and a girl.
Denny Tan:Meet Jackson Township's fire safety inspector and investigator
"We will start our examination on each of them tomorrow (Monday) morning," said Harry Campbell, chief investigator with the Stark County Coroner's Office. "We have a pretty good idea who they are. We are still working on establishing positive identification."
House on Skycrest destroyed
Damage was massive as all that remained of the brick structure were portions of what appeared to be walls of the attached garage. Some smoke was still smoldering from the remains Sunday afternoon. Contents were not recognizable as what remained was charred heaps of debris.
The victims "were all inside the dwelling," Berczik said. "They might have been in bed when the fire started. Their bodies were not in bed when we got there. This was a family unit living at that home. It appears to be a fast-moving fire."
The origin and cause of the blaze has yet to be determined. The State Fire Marshal is participating in the investigation.
Jackson Township fire:Family of four escapes December fire
Fire crews arrived five minutes after the first call.
Firefighters said they tried to attack the flames but due to the rapid spread of the blaze prior to arrival, switched to protecting nearby homes.
Assistance was provided by Jackson Township Police, Perry Township Fire, and Plain Township fire departments.
This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Jackson Township house fire turns deadly
