CLEVELAND, Ohio – A 1-year-old girl died and her grandmother was seriously injured Thursday in a fire that destroyed a home on the Cleveland’s East Side.
Fire Lt. Michael Norman said the blaze on Marston Avenue, just east of East 131st Street, began about 10:25 a.m. He said the child and her grandparents were there when the fire began.
The grandmother could not find the toddler in an upstairs bedroom because of the smoke, Norman said. She later leapt from a porch above the first floor. Firefighters went in and found the child, who suffered from smoke inhalation, Norman said.
The grandparents were taken to MetroHealth Medical Center, where the woman was in serious condition Thursday afternoon, Norman said. Her husband was stable.
He said the fire destroyed the home and caused about $200,000 in damage. The siding of a neighbor’s home was also damaged. The cause is under investigation.