Campbell fire claims life of 41-year-old man

CAMPBELL — Richard Sikora, 41, of 469 Robinson Road, was found dead in the upstairs of his Cape Cod home, which was damaged by fire early today.

Sikora was not burned in the blaze, which was reported by a neighbor at about 5:52 a.m. who said flames were shooting out of an upstairs window. The victim’s body was sent to the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s office for an autopsy, said Capt. Gene Skelley of the Campbell Fire Department.

Skelley said the cause of the fire, which appears to have ignited in the hallway to the upstairs, is being investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s office. He said a dog accompanied fire marshals to sniff for possible accelerants.

Fire damage, estimated to be $15,000 each to the structure and its contents, was confined to the hallway and the upstairs. Sikora was the only occupant of the home, which was locked when firefighters arrived.