Blaze claims second life [Bristol, OH]

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Blaze claims second life
Story by CHRISTOPHER BOBBY / Tribune Chronicle on 7/17/2008.

Investigator: Questions remain about fire at Bristol pizza shop


Article Photos
Flowers and a cup of coffee adorn the front of the Pizza Express, 1832 Greenville Road in Bristol, on Wednesday. A fire there Tuesday claimed the lives William Seemann, 77, and his daughter, Sherri Seemann, 47.

BRISTOL - A county fire investigator said Wednesday that although a fatal fire at a Bristol pizza shop appears to be accidental, he still has major questions that need to be answered.

Matt Balut, assistant chief of the Trumbull County Fire Investigation Unit, said he was awaiting a report from the Summit County Coroner's Office after learning that a second victim - 77-year-old William Seemann - had died shortly after midnight Wednesday.

Seemann's daughter, Sherri Seemann, 47, who lived with her father in an apartment above the Pizza Express, 1832 Greenville Road (state Route 88), died either in the blaze or shortly after arriving at a Warren hospital.

Both are believed to have died from smoke inhalation.

"Tragedy ... I don't know what else to say. I'm at a loss for words," Bristol Township Trustee Doug Seemann said about the loss of his father and sister.

He said he wasn't sure what would happen to his business but said he was thankful for the support he's received from the community.

"I can't believe the outpouring," he said. "People are just coming up and saying 'I knew him' and my sister. It's just fantastic," he said.

Balut said he and TCFIU investigators are scheduled to comb through debris again this morning to try and find more evidence of how the blazed started shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday in the rear of the first floor.

''I still want to know why they didn't appear to be trying to get out of the apartment,'' Balut said. ''We found a smoke detector that appeared to be working. We want to find out if it was operable. They weren't found near an exit or a window,'' Balut said, without revealing just where in the apartment father and daughter were found.

He said at least two operable cell phones and one working land line were in the apartment.

Balut said investigators already found that ovens used to make the pizza were never turned off completely.

''They turn the heat down, but never off. It takes too long to heat them up,'' he said.

A hood fan and an exhaust fan used in the shop also run 24 hours a day.

He said there was a floor fan at the top of a staircase leading to the second floor apartment even though there was air conditioning in the living area. Two windows were found open.

Bristol Fire Chief Roger French said the first firefighters arriving at the scene rescued William Seemann first and then went back to retrieve Sherri Seemann, but it was too late.

Firefighters from eight communities brought the blaze under control within an hour while Trumbull deputies worked a traffic control detail and state road workers arranged a temporary detour around the scene just east of the intersection of state Routes 45 and 88.

At least two motorists driving by the business called 911 Emergency Center reporting smoke coming from the rear of the building and someone screaming at 7:54 a.m.

Firefighters from Bristol, Champion, Bloomfield, Bazetta, Mecca, Farmington, Orwell and Middlefield fought the fire.

cbobby@tribtoday.com

Reporter Bill Rodgers contributed to this report.