Northeast Side fire claims life of second 4-year-old twin
The second 4-year-old twin pulled by firefighters from a blaze at a family’s Northeast Side home early Saturday has died.
Yonatan Nashih had been taken to the hospital from the scene, but died on Wednesday. His brother, Solomon, died on Sunday, Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Steve Martin said Thursday in announcing the second death.
It was about 7:45 a.m. Saturday when the three older children in the home jumped out of second-story windows of their split-level home in the 3000 block of Glenshaw Avenue on the Northeast Side. One of them ran to a neighbor’s.
The teenage girl banged on the front door of next-door neighbor Nathan Kosof and screamed to him that her two twin brothers were still trapped in the home.
Kosof called 911 and ran over, but the home was already too consumed for him to enter. Firefighters arrived and pulled out the 4-year-old twins.
Martin said Monday that the fire likely started somewhere in the middle of the main floor of the home, though he added that the damage is so extensive that it’s a hindrance to getting answers.
The parents were both at work Saturday when the fire broke out, and fire officials said the home did have one working smoke detector.
The boys are the fourth and fifth fire deaths in the city so far this year, Martin said, while the city recorded 10 fire deaths in all of last year.
But no pattern on causes has emerged to raise alarms. Previous fires so far in 2021 were caused by unattended cooking and a traffic crash that resulted in a fire. One was related to heating equipment.
Nevertheless, as the Division of Fire usually does after a significant event, fire-prevention officers went door-todoor in the Glenshaw Avenue neighborhood this week to talk to residents about fire safety and offer to install free smoke detectors if necessary.
Anyone who needs smoke detectors installed can call the division at 614724-0935 and leave a message to schedule a time.
For his part, Kosof said he and his family were devastated to hear that both boys had died. Kosof ’s own 6-yearold son played with them, and Kosef said he had to help him understand that they are gone forever.
He started a Gofundme account to try and to help. By midday Thursday it has raised more than $23,000.
He last spoke with the family on Tuesday, when the boys’ father texted that Yonatan had taken a turn for the
worse.
“It’s been a rough week for everyone,” Kosof said. “We’ll all be here for whatever
they need.” hzachariah@dispatch.com @hollyzachariah