Recordpub.com - Record-Courier reporter among victims Randolph fire claims two Arson suspected in blaze at Aberagg Road home

Record-Courier staff report

RANDOLPH — Two people, including a Record-Courier reporter, died in a house fire Thursday afternoon.

Marci Piltz, the newspaper’s police and courts reporter, was apparently visiting a friend at 1094 Aberagg Road when the fire broke out. Piltz arrived at work early Thursday and completed several assignments before leaving early in the afternoon, apparently planning to return.

The one-story house is owned by Todd M. Bartlett, who shared the home with a friend, David R. Smith. It is located in southwestern Randolph, near the intersection of Shaffer Road.

Arson investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office were on the scene by late afternoon to try to determine the cause of the fire.

Maj. Dennis Missimi of the Portage County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that one of the victims was Piltz, 30, who apparently died en route to Akron City Hospital.

The second victim was found inside the house, and could not be identified at press time Thursday night, said Randolph Fire Chief Mike Lang Jr. He said there was a search for more victims, but none were found.

Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci said the body of the second victim was removed about 8:20 p.m. Both victims were sent to the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.

“We’ll know a lot more after that” as to cause of death, Vigluicci said.

Bartlett, the home’s owner, was called to the scene by neighbors who reported the fire.

The first fire call came in at about 2:45 p.m. Two minutes later, the rear of the one-story frame house was reported to be fully engulfed in flames. The first fire units were on the scene by 2:51 p.m.

From the front, the house did not appear badly damaged at first glance. But a closer look showed that fire had destroyed the roof and melted the vinyl siding.

The worst damage was in the back, which was reduced to charcoal.

Kathy Cruise, who lives down the street from the house, said she saw the smoke while driving home at about 2:40 p.m. She drove past her house to the burning structure, where she saw flames coming from the back of the house.

Another neighbor, Keith Hallenbeck, came to the scene and saw that a dog was tied up on a lead outside. He freed the dog, who he said was hiding behind parked cars seeking shelter from the heat of the blaze.

“It was just all collapsing at that time,” he said.

Hallenbeck suspected there was some sort of “accelerant,” noting that the fire was “fast burning.”

“There were just plumes of black smoke,” he said. As he looked at the house, he doubted that anyone could have made it out alive.

“You could not see two inches outside those windows,” he said.

Cruise said she saw one person being brought out of the house, and an ambulance leaving the scene with no sirens on.

Neighbors Karen and William Todd expressed concern for Bartlett, who they said was in shock, and for Smith, who was missing.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” Karen Todd said.

Portage County Sheriff Dave Doak discounted a rumor that a meth lab could have been a cause. Doak said no evidence of a meth lab was found at the scene.

Vigluicci said calling arson investigators is standard when there are deaths and no obvious cause of the blaze. Vigluicci and investigators from his office and the Portage County coroner also were on scene.

Piltz was the mother of two young boys, ages 9 and 5.

She had covered the police, fire and courts beat for the Record-Courier since 2002. She had been with the newspaper since August 2001 and previously covered Streetsboro and other communities.

She was involved with the Portage County Safe Communities program, None Under 21, and also participated in Shop With A Cop holiday programs. She was a Kent State University graduate.