Family escapes Niles house fire

NILES – A West State Street family escaped injury when fire broke out in the kitchen of their home early Friday morning.

“There could have been a family that may not have awakened,” said fire Capt. Randy Ciminero of the blaze at the Eric Clark home at 219 W. State.

Ciminero said Clark and his three children – ages 3 to 9 – were not injured even though a smoke alarm wasn’t functioning because it didn’t have any batteries. It was the only detector in the house.

Clark heard some banging in the kitchen shortly before 2:30 a.m. He got the children out of the house, the captain said.

The fire that broke out in the refrigerator of the two-story frame home caused $12,500 damage.

Ciminero said there is no reason for city residents not to have smoke alarms because the fire department provides them free.