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Boardman fire victims identified
Resident of complex describes scene as chaotic, devastating
BOARDMAN
The woman who was critically injured in the Glenwood Avenue apartment fire that killed her husband was in critical but stable condition Wednesday afternoon, fire officials reported.
The couple is identified as Curtis and Elizabeth Cochrane. Curtis, 64, reportedly died shortly after the fire.
Emergency medical-service crews responded Tuesday night to the fire that broke out in the kitchen of their apartment.
Fire investigators likely will travel in the next few days to the Akron burn unit where Elizabeth was flown, township Fire Chief Mark Pitzer said. If and when she is weaned off a ventilator, fire officials will ask her questions related to their investigation.
The state Fire Marshal’s office is taking the lead on that investigation. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Another resident of the 50-unit-plus building at 4071 Glenwood Ave. on Wednesday described a chaotic, devastating scene in which residents – some elderly and disabled – clambered to escape smoke that poured upward from the second floor to the top floor of the four-story building.
“It was overwhelming. It was confusing,” said the resident, who asked not to be identified. She spoke emotionally about the event, describing how she watched as responders tried to revive the man.
She described the apartment complex community as neighborly. She didn’t know the Cochranes well, but had said hello to them before.
“Everybody knows who people are. ... We help each other,” she said. One resident even went back into the building to knock on doors to alert people of the fire and help them get out, she said.
Pitzer said responders helped to evacuate several residents who use wheelchairs.
Another challenge for his crew was the size of the building, he said.
Youngstown, Canfield and Poland fire departments also responded.
“It’s very overwhelming. That’s why we call for additional resources. We don’t have enough manpower to be able to effectively search four floors of a large apartment building,” Pitzer said.
One firefighter had difficulty breathing after the fire, Pitzer said, but later was determined to be OK. No firefighters were injured.
The last fatal fire in the township was at a Border Avenue home in December. That fire killed a 37-year-old man.