Brookfield Police Department identifies man who died in Sunday house fire

Staff report

MASURY

The man who died in a 6:51 a.m. fire at his 8136 Ohio Street SW home early Sunday has been identified as James D. Hobart, 52.

He had gone to the house to sleep in the basement bedroom where he normally slept, while his wife and two children were sleeping in a camper parked outside, said Capt. Mike Hagood of the Brookfield Police Department.

Firefighters found the man dead on the basement stairs within a few minutes of arriving at the home but left his body there while they completed fighting the fire, Hagood said.

It’s proper procedure to leave a body undisturbed to preserve evidence, Hagood explained.

The man’s wife and children, who are around 10 years old, were not injured.

The case is under investigation by the Brookfield Police Department, Brookfield Fire Department, Trumbull County Coroner’s Office and Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office, according to a news release from the Brookfield Police Department.

A fire marshal’s spokesman said no information can be released on the investigation at this time.

A neighbor reported the fire after seeing smoke coming from the basement after a basement window blew out, according to Trumbull County 911.

The neighbor told 911 that there were probably two small children and two adults in the house, and she was banging on the door but there was no answer.

The neighbor added that the family was there late the night before, so she believed the family probably was home.

Firefighters from Brookfield, Hartford, Hubbard and Mercer County, Pa., were dispatched to the area five minutes after the call. The fire was under control at 7 a.m. Heavy smoke was coming from the residence when firefighters arrived.