Officials said a 6-year-old died after the Friday fire on Cathy Drive NE.
PLAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A 6-year-old child died Friday after a house fire in Plain Township that also injured the child’s father and a 4-year-old sibling, officials said.
The fire drew Plain Township firefighters and Stark County sheriff’s deputies to the 2500 block of Cathy Drive NE at about 5:08 p.m. Authorities first released incorrect information about the child’s age, then said the child who died was 6 years old. The 4-year-old remained in critical but stable condition, while the father was stable.
Crews arrived to find flames on the left side of the one-story home. Plain Township Fire Chief Howard Hershberger said firefighters knocked down enough fire to make entry, then searched the house and found both children. “The left side of the house was fully involved,” Hershberger said. The children and their father were taken to a local hospital, where the 6-year-old died a short time later.
Neighbors reported seeing smoke shortly after 5 p.m. and tried to help before firefighters arrived. Bryan Daniels, who lives across the street, said he saw the father collapse in the grass and ask about the girls inside. Daniels said he ran behind the home and sprayed water with a garden hose but could not get inside because fire and debris blocked the way.
A woman and another child who live at the home were outside and were not injured, officials said. A cat also was rescued from the house. Fire departments from Nimishillen Township, Canton and Canton Township helped Plain Township crews at the scene as firefighters worked to control the blaze and search the home.
The Stark County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Fire Marshal are investigating the cause of the fire. Officials had not announced a final cause or whether any charges were being considered. The next step is a joint review of the scene, witness accounts and fire evidence.
The fire remained under investigation Saturday, with one child dead, another child hospitalized and the father recovering in stable condition.
Author note: Last updated May 30, 2026.