JANUARY A DEADLY MONTH FOR HOUSE FIRES

January historically most dangerous month for fatal blazes in Ohio.

Of Ohio’s six residential fire deaths in the first 15 days of January — historically the most deadly month for such blazes — two were in southwest Ohio, according to Ohio State Fire Marshal data.

Between 2009 and 2017, an average of 16 people died in January residential fires. The worst January for residential fire deaths was in 2015, when a total of 26 people died, according to the data.

Nolla O’Daniel died Monday in an explosion and fire at her house on Forest Street in Fairborn, according to investigators. The state fire marshal and Fairborn Fire Department are investigating and confirmed there were oxygen bottles inside the house, but did not elaborate. It is unknown if working fire alarms were present.

Neighbors tried to save the 71-year-old, with four or five of them joining hands to make a human chain.

“We just couldn’t get to her,” said neighbor James Lemaster. “The smoke,” he said, was too great.

Other cold weather months make up the bulk of residential fire deaths, the data show. November, December, January, February and March each see average deaths in excess of 12. August has the fewest number of deaths at about five each year. None of the 108 months from January 2009 until December 2017 saw zero deaths from residential fires. Only July 2012 and August 2015 saw one death for the entire month, the data show.

Overall, the number of annual deaths has ticked down over the past several years from 155 in 2010 to 105 in 2013. Last year, 109 people died in residential fires in Ohio.

The state data set is comprised of data from news reports, investigations and fire department data.

Christina Haag, 38, of Greenville, died Dec. 13 after a fire at Colonial Mobile Home Community around 2:30 a.m. A man inside the home was awakened by the blaze and went back inside several times to try to save the woman and three children ages 6 to 14. The children made it out alive and were taken to the hospital.

State records show the Darke County home had working fire alarms and identify the cause of the fire as “heating.”

Three other deaths this month — two in Wyandot County, where working smoke detectors were not present, and one in Monroe County — were also caused by “heating” issues, the records show. The cause of yet another fatal fire in Cuyahoga County is undetermined.

State fire officials recommend homes have a smoke alarm on every level and inside each sleeping area. State officials recommend that, when plugging in electric heaters, make sure that the outlet was designed to handle the load and avoid plugging anything else into the socket with the heater.