Report: Flora Cafaro seriously injured in fire
Staff report
BROOKFIELD
Flora Cafaro, the sister of J.J. and Anthony Cafaro Sr., was rescued from a fire at her Brookfield Township home Thursday evening, according to fire reports.
While neither family members nor official sources would confirm her condition, 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner, reported that a Brookfield Fire Department captain confirmed Thursday night that only one woman was rescued from the home and that woman died, but he would not confirm if that woman is Flora Cafaro.
Joe Bell, corporate communications director for the Cafaro Company, confirmed that a fire began in an upstairs bedroom at the back of the home and that Flora Cafaro was found unconscious on the floor of an adjacent bathroom by Brookfield Township firefighters. He said no one else was in the home at the time.
Firefighters responded to an alarm call from the second floor of the gated home in the 5000 block of Stewart Sharon Road about 4 p.m., said Brookfield Fire Capt. David Coffy.
Coffy said firefighters had to break through the property’s locked gate and found smoke coming out of the second floor. When they got into the home, the bedroom at the back was fully involved.
“We got her out of the house, and she was transported to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital,” Coffy said.
He said there was fire, heat and smoke damage to the second floor and smoke damage throughout the structure. Loss is estimated at $100,000.
The fire appears to be accidental, he said.
Coffy said the cause is under investigation, and state fire marshals were called to the scene.
The Brookfield Fire Department, which was assisted by fire units from Vienna, Hubbard and Liberty, cleared the scene at 7:36 p.m.