EUCLID, Ohio — According to the Euclid Fire Department, a fire at the Aljer Manor Apartments on Euclid Avenue claimed the lives of a 31-year-old woman and her 5-year-old son.
Resident Alaina Johnson told News 5 it was a jarring way to wake up Sunday morning.
“I got up, went to the door and it was just smoke. It was very thick. I got my stuff on and got out of the apartment as best as I could,” Johnson recalled.
She said it appeared most people in the 12-unit apartment building were outside, but black smoke was pouring out of one second-story apartment.
“They got the ladders out and actually had to break the glass to get in and carry the young lady out. It was some time before they found her son and kind of carried him out as well,” she explained.
The Euclid Fire Department responded to calls around 8:30 Sunday morning. Assistant Fire Chief William Anderson explained extreme heat and heavy smoke prevented firefighters from entering the second story apartment through its main door. When crews got inside, they found an unresponsive 31-year-old woman and 5-year-old boy.
Despite life-saving measures, both died from their injuries.
“This is absolutely tragic, absolutely. I’m just speechless,” Johnson said. “I had seen her and her son quite often. He was a very, very sweet little boy… very nice, always speaking, jovial. She was a hard working mother. It was just the two of them.”
The State Fire Marshal will help investigate the official cause of the fire. Assistant Chief Anderson said investigators suspect it started on the stove.
“If people leave food unattended cooking on a stove, it will spread to the cabinets and the combustibles around there. Next thing you know, their entire apartment is on fire,” Anderson said.
Mutual aid helped control the fire within 20 minutes and it was contained to one apartment. One Euclid firefighter sustained a back injury but refused transport. No other injuries were reported.
Firefighters and neighbors alike said it was tragic morning they won't soon forget.
"I would ask your viewers to say a prayer for the families, for the people affected by this, especially our firefighters who have this incident forever etched in their minds," Anderson said.
Johnson added, “This could’ve been any of us this morning. Fortunately, I’m still here and able to speak now. Just seeing what we saw this morning and in the days to come, this is going to be pretty hard for us here.”
The fire remains under investigation by the Euclid Fire Department and State Fire Marshal.
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