Woman dies in Niles house fire

Staff report

NILES

A 70-year-old woman died Tuesday in a fire at her house on Ohio Avenue near Waddell Park.

Firefighters found Sally Spelich in the kitchen and removed her. Personnel from Lane Lifetrans performed life-saving measures, but she was pronounced dead later at St. Joseph Health Center in Warren.

The fire, reported by a neighbor at 12:13 p.m., damaged the front porch and living room of the home.

It’s possible Spelich was overcome by smoke and heat, but the official cause of death and the cause of the fire have not been determined, said Lt. Mike Hudzik of the Niles Fire Department.

There were no smoke detectors in the house.

Because the water was running in the kitchen sink, it’s possible Spelich was trying to extinguish the flame herself, Hudzik said.

Spelich did not live alone, but her husband was not home at the time of the fire.