Jefferson Co. fire kills 1-year-old girl

Associated Press

MINGO JUNCTION, Ohio

A fire that apparently spread quickly through a house in eastern Ohio has killed a 1-year-old girl.

The Jefferson County coroner’s office says Savannah Creamer died in the fire in the house near Mingo Junction around 9:30 a.m. Sunday.

Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said he has reason to believe a 4-year-old in the house might have been playing with matches before the fire.

Abdalla said the 4-year-old came out of a bathroom and said there was a fire. He said the investigation is continuing.

Deborah Welsch, the coroner’s office chief investigator, says it appears the 1-year-old girl died of smoke inhalation after becoming trapped in the house.

Welsch says the girl’s parents and six other children got out of the house, but two children were injured when they fell or jumped out of windows.

Abdalla said one of the children who fell or jumped was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital.

Welsch says the initial call referred to a room on fire, but firefighters arrived to find the entire house ablaze.

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