Ohio man killed in house fire was father of Seattle Seahawks player
One of four CLEVELAND — people who died in a house fire in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood is the father of Seattle Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark, according to family members.
Frank Clark III, 44, was inside the home on Hillview Road that caught fire early Tuesday, according to his aunt, Sharon Kemp. A police report linked to the fire also included Clark’s name.
The younger Frank Clark played for the University of Michigan after starring at Glenville High School. He was drafted by the Seahawks in 2013.
His son tweeted a photo of his father late Sunday.
“My father was killed in an arson fire along with 3 other members of my family on the East Side of Cleveland,” he tweeted. “Pray for me and my family during this time.”
Cleveland police and fire officials have not publicly disclosed whether the fire was set intentionally.
Kemp, and her daughter Shalean Kemp, also identified the three others who died in the fire. Alfonso Lathan Jr., 46, his son, Alfonso Lathan III, 4, and his granddaughter Niayah, 8, were also killed in the blaze.
Officials have not publicly identified the victims of Tuesday’s blaze, believed to be the deadliest in the city since four people were killed in a November 2009 fire.
Alfonso Lathan died trying to save the others inside the home, fire officials said. He and his 4-year-old son were found dead in the basement. His granddaughter was found on the first floor and Clark Sr. in the kitchen.
Alfonso Lathan’s wife, Gianna Lathan, 44, is being treated at MetroHealth after jumping out of a second-story window during the fire, according to fire officials and a police dispatch report.
She suffered severe burns to her throat, according to a police dispatch report. A doctor at MetroHealth told investigators she may not be able to speak to investigators for a few days while she’s being treated, the dispatchers report said.
The fire had fully engulfed the home by the time firefighters arrived about 1 a.m. at the home on Hillsview Avenue, just north of Euclid Avenue. The fire’s intensity damaged the home so badly that firefighters had to wait more than 13 hours before being able to find the bodies inside the home.
It took 38 firefighters about 90 minutes to extinguish the fire, official said.