VIDEO/PHOTO: Three people were killed Friday after flames tore through a residence in Austinburg Township, trapping the victims inside. Firefighters from multiple jurisdictions responded after the fire broke out on the 2100 block of Jefferson Eagleville Road around 7:30 a.m. Marsha Cooper told FOX 8 News her 25-year-old daughter, Joline Cooper, 5-year-old granddaughter Celeste Kershaw and 3-year-old grandson Atreus Kershaw were trapped inside and died.
Marsha said they were on the second floor of the residence and alternative heat sources were being used to heat the home due to a maintenance issue. Propane tanks may have accelerated the fire spreading rapidly.
It was an old barn that was repurposed into apartments, Marsha said. Three others were treated and released from a local hospital, including a 1-year-old who was thrown from a window to escape the fire.
Geneva Fire Department Chief David Shook told FOX 8 that firefighters were still working on hot spots Friday afternoon. He said a state fire marshal had been called to the scene to investigate.
