Hiram Fire Kills Teenager While Four Others Escaped

A 19-year-old man died in a house fire in Hiram, while the teen's four housemates escaped unharmed.

Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland says Alexander Mudgett's body was found on the first floor, at the foot of the stairs. Investigators with the State Fire Marshal's Office say they believe he was trying to get out of the fire when he died. Mudgett was asleep on the second floor when fire broke out, as were two men and two women, all in their 20's. One of the group was awakened by smoke and alerted the others.

The four survivors all escaped by crawling out bedroom windows onto roofs and then jumping to the ground. One of them suffered a minor leg injury, but the rest were unharmed.

The building was destroyed in the fire that broke out sometime before 5 Saturday morning, and all that remains of the building is a single wall. Fire officials say there were no smoke detectors in the house. The State Fire Marshal's office will now investigate to determine how the fire started. An initial investigation indicated that it likely began on the first floor or underneath the house.