Mineral Ridge fire kills 2
Father, daughter trapped on second floor of home
Trending
MINERAL RIDGE -- A father and his daughter died early Friday after they were trapped on the second floor during a house fire in the 1400 block of Lincoln Avenue.
The state fire marshal's office confirmed it is investigating the double fatality there. A fire marshal's spokeswoman said a final report on the blaze will take a few days to complete.
Weathersfield Township fire Chief Tom Lambert confirmed the dead as Robin Michelle Kralik, 56, and Russell L. Poling, the owner of 1465 Lincoln Ave.
Kathy Meszaros, chief forensic investigator for the Trumbull County Coroner's office, said an autopsy was being conducted on the two victims Friday afternoon. Causes of death should be known Monday, she said.
FIRE ORIGIN
Lambert said the fire is believed to have started in the kitchen.
One of the fire survivors, Robin's son Raymond Kralik, 37, said he noticed the fire starting above the stove after he started to heat oil for his morning hash browned potatoes.
The front part of the home sustained the most damage, the chief said, as the fire traveled up the stairwell.
"No one was going to come down those stairs," Lambert said.
Kralik said he tried to go up the stairs to get to his two relatives, but he said he put his foot through a step.
Lambert said it took a little time to find the two victims, as it appeared they were moving around trying to find a place to escape.
A Trumbull County 911 report states a woman called to report the fire at 4:41 a.m. and said she and her father were still on the second floor, and were trapped.
Firefighters were on the scene by 4:46 a.m., the 911 report showed.
By 9 a.m. Friday, police tape was placed across both the front and back yards of the two-story wood frame house, which is located about a block from state Route 46 near the Mahoning-Trumbull County border.
A crew from Lewis Construction in Howland was working to board up the damaged areas -- which were extensive at the front of the home.
Neighbors said they were awakened by screams about 4:40 a.m. by Kralik's two adult children, one of whom -- Raymond -- was in the house when the fire started.
Reports said those two, treated by police officers who were first to the scene, were not seriously injured.
Neighbors reported seeing fireballs shoot out of the house shortly before firefighters arrived.
The 911 report states a ladder was placed on the second floor at 4:56 a.m., and both victims were taken out of the home by 5:17 a.m. Reports said the two were taken to Trumbull Regional Medical Center where they were pronounced dead.
The last remaining fire crews left the scene shortly after 8:30 a.m. Lambert said the firefighters did a great job, but he said the tragedy is weighing heavily on them.
"We are a small community," Lambert said. "This kind of tragedy pokes everyone in one way or another."
gvogrin@tribtoday.com