HOWLAND Girl, 5, injured in explosion, fire

HOWLAND -- A 5-year-old girl is in the burn unit at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Akron after suffering second-degree burns to both arms and her right side and back when an explosion and fire rocked her home Tuesday afternoon at 3891 Niles Road.
A 2-year-old boy, 3-year-old girl and the children's father were treated for smoke inhalation at St. Joseph's Medical Center. Howland fire officials did not identify the victims.
An investigator from the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office was called to the scene. The explosion and fire, which erupted at 2:08 p.m., remain under investigation, the fire department said. Damage was estimated at $2,500 to the house and $2,500 to its contents.
Firefighters found residents outside in the front yard with the children in the car. A picture window on the side of the house was blown out, the door to the children's bedroom was blown off its hinges, and a small mattress was ablaze in that bedroom, the fire department said.
Ten firefighters responded with three engines, a ladder truck and a rescue squad.