Unattended pot on stove caused fatal Blacklick house fire

BLACKLICK, Ohio (WCMH) -- A pot left unattended on a burning stovetop caused the house fire that left two dead earlier this month.

Jefferson Township Fire Chief Brad Shull said Friday that the fire, on Dec. 5 in the 6600 block of Greylag Street, was unintentional. Marielda Nangah, 71, and her grandson, De’Andre Berry-Samba, who was 4 or 5 years old, could not escape the house and died.

"Cooking fires are the leading cause of house fires in the United States," Shull said.

Two other children, girls aged 11 and 12, were alerted by smoke detectors and escaped.

The fire was first reported after 2 a.m., and the home was fully engulfed in flames when crews arrived. By 3 a.m., the home was nearly destroyed. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze by around 4 a.m.

Berry-Samba was a pre-K student at St. Pius X school in nearby Reynoldsburg.