By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
The bodies of an elderly couple were found deceased in a home that caught fire in Galion early this morning. The victims have been identified as 78-year-old Charles Longstreth and 72-year-old Elisa Beth Mitchell.
The Galion Fire Department was called about the house fire at 561 Laughbaum Drive at 12:58 this morning.
“We were out there from 1 until 7 this morning,” Galion Fire Chief Phil Jackson said.
Mutual aid was requested from Bucyrus and Crestline fire departments and firefighters from those communities were on the scene as were officers from the Galion Police Department and Crawford County Sheriff’s Office. Volunteers from the Crawford County Chapter of the American Red Cross were also there.
Crawford County Coroner Dr. Michael Johnson was called to the scene. The bodies of Longstreth and Mitchell were found in a bedroom. They have been sent to the Lucas County Coroner’s Office for autopsies.
Jackson said the neighboring homes in the area were not imminently threatened by the fire.
“There was only heavy damage to half the house. The other half was fairly intact,” Jackson said. “The guys did a great job.”
Jackson said through a press release that it appears as though the fire began in an upstairs bedroom and the victims were trapped by the blaze. Jackson is uncertain who called the fire in.
Fire officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire and Jackson said that because of the amount of damage in that area of the house an exact cause may be difficult to determine. As with all fatal fires, the State of Ohio Fire Marshal’s Office has been called to assist in the investigation.