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Victim in Youngstown fatal fire named
YOUNGSTOWN
The victim in a fire on the city’s South Side was identified Thursday by the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office as Ernest Averhart, 70.
An autopsy conducted Thursday revealed that Averhart likely did not die as a result of the fire, but may have died from a cardiovascular event, according to a release. Responders to the scene at 640 W. La Clede Ave. reportedly found the victim face-up on the floor of a first-floor dining room after the fire was extinguished. There was no evidence of traumatic injuries to the body, the coroner’s office said.
Results from toxicology studies are pending, and an investigation into the fatality is ongoing.
The case of another fatal fire that occurred Wednesday in the Youngstown area also developed.
The house at 5731 Border Ave. in Boardman that was the site of a fire that killed one man, who has yet to be identified, likely will be demolished today. The township board of trustees voted at an emergency meeting Thursday to declare 5731 Border a nuisance and to approve its demolition.
The house, which sits at the end of a dead-end street off of Meadowbrook Avenue near Southern Boulevard, is the site of a fire that broke out about 4 a.m. Wednesday.
When firefighters responded, the house was in flames, and responders could not gain entry. After using a ladder to get to the second floor, the victim’s body was found in an upstairs bathroom.
The fire caused extensive damage to the house. Fire Chief Mark Pitzer reported to township trustees Thursday that the structure represents a risk of collapse and should be torn down as soon as possible.
The board approved the award of a contract of up to $10,000 with Wolford’s Rolloff Inc. of McDonald for the demolition work.
Reports from the offices of the county coroner and the state fire marshal for that case are pending.