The day after a fire devastated his family, Michael Steininger stood outside his sister’s Little Creek home surveying the damage.
The Sunday blaze left his 9-year-old niece and a 42-year-old woman dead. Steininger’s sister, his son and his son’s girlfriend were injured.
Steininger said he couldn’t discuss the conditions of the three survivors.
“I know everyone wants answers right now, but I don’t know how everyone is and I don’t know what started the fire,” he said.
The state fire marshal said Sunday that the victims sustained smoke inhalation and burns. The girl and 42-year-old died at the hospital after firefighters pulled them from the burning house, the fire marshal said. The three others were in critical condition.
Steigninger said the 42-year-old was related to his sister by marriage. Their names have not been released.
Firefighters from Little Creek and the stations who assisted “did an awesome job,” and he appreciates everyone who risked their lives and all who helped in the rescue efforts, he said.
The Main Street home is almost directly across the street from the firehouse.
Little Creek Fire Company Deputy Chief Steve Galvin said the call from the 911 center was received at about 12:10 p.m. A firefighter looked out the window of the station, confirmed there were flames, and the crew responded immediately.
“The chief was here and as he went to the house, he saw one of the victims jump off the porch roof,” said Galvin. “The person who jumped said there was another person trapped upstairs.”
Firefighters went through the second floor window into the home, found one person and brought her out to an awaiting ambulance.
“Crews arrived from Dover and Leipsic and upon a search, they found two more victims upstairs. A total of five people were transported with injuries,” Galvin said.
One of the residents had been outside and tried to run back in to help, he said.
“I attribute both the duty crew being here and the training we do on a regular basis with the ability to respond quickly, pull people out and saving lives,” Galvin said.
The fire company has assigned a rotating crew of members to be on duty at the firehouse 24 hours a day since the pandemic began in 2020.
More than 80 firefighters and emergency workers responded from Little Creek and neighboring fire companies. Police escorted ambulances to the hospital.
“The community really came together to help,” Galvin said. “It’s the worst fire this town has seen in decades. It was definitely a tough call to respond to. It’s right across the street so we see them almost every day.”
MORE FROM FIRE MARSHAL:2 dead, 3 injured following house fire in Little Creek Sunday afternoon
Next-door neighbor Ed Angwin, 72, was at home with his son, getting ready to have lunch, when his son noticed the fire from the kitchen window.
“We went outside and saw the flames coming out of the front windows. One of the victims was on the roof, a woman, and we told her, ‘You have to jump’ because we didn’t have a ladder or anything,” Angwin said.
The woman jumped and fell, and someone pulled her away from the burning home, he said.
“The fire company was here right away, and my son and I helped with the hoses,” said Angwin, who is a life member of the Little Creek Fire Company, but not as involved as he once was now that he’s getting older.
Angwin said he “didn’t know a whole lot” about his neighbors, but would always say “hello” when he’d see them in the yard and sometimes talk for a minute about the weather or something in the news.
He said the deadly fire is difficult to think about.
“It’s a shame, especially when a child is involved, it hits me the hardest,” Angwin said. “As a retired firefighter and EMT, those were always the toughest calls, and I have grandchildren and great-grandchildren now and that is the worst thing that could happen.”
Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.
