JACKSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A family of four, including two children, who died in a Jackson Township fire over the weekend have been identified.
The fire happened around 12:15 a.m. on Sunday at a house in the 4300 block of Skycrest Drive Northwest, according to a news release from the Jackson Township Fire Department.
When crews arrived, they found the house fully engulfed in flames.
Fire Chief Tim Berczik said they family was found together and it appeared they were trying to get out of the house.
"We did find in short order that there were four occupants inside. Unfortunately, they all perished," said. "I have been with Jackson Township for 29 years and we have had fatal fires unfortunately. But we have never had 4 fatalities in one fire."
The fire department's latest statement identified the parents killed in the fire as Jeffery Hawk and Talina Hawk, and said their two children, ages 14 and 12, also died in the fire.
A statement from Jackson Local Schools school district identified the two children killed as Javen Hawk, a sixth-grader, and, Amelia Hawk, a seventh-grader.
Below is the full statement from Jackson Local Schools:
"Our staff and students at Jackson Memorial Middle School are mourning the loss of two students and their parents. Relationships between our staff, our students, and our families are the very core of the foundation for building a strong educational partnership. Ameila Hawk was a seventh-grader and her brother, Javen, was a sixth-grader. Both Ameila and Javen had infectious smiles. They were loved by their classmates and they will be greatly missed at JMMS. We know many of our students and staff will have varying reactions to this tragedy. Anyone wanting support will have it available through our counselors. We are grateful to our mental health providers in Stark County for their support during this time. Parents, please contact the school office during normal school hours if you feel your child is in need of additional assistance."
All that was left of the home was a fire-singed husk. Most of the exterior walls and the entire roof had been destroyed.
Berczik said the fire has been ruled undetermined and the cause may never be known.
"There was so much damage to this home and it was hard to even determine the exact origin of the fire let alone the cause," he said.
A GoFundMe has been created to help the family pay for funeral costs.
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