8-year-old girl killed in Akron house fire identified as second-grader at Akron Preparatory School

CLEVELAND — An 8-year-old girl who was killed in a house fire in Akron on Tuesday morning has been identified

The Summit County Medical Examiner identified the girl as Roniah Boswell Bartee, from Barberton.

Around 4:15 a.m. on Tuesday, the Akron Fire Department responded to a fire in the 2200 block of 18th Street SW in Akron.

Dave Hatala.

Photo courtesy of a neighbor who lives across the street from a home on 18th Street.

When firefighters arrived, they found Roniah in an upstairs. She sustained burns from the fire.

Roniah was transported to Akron Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 4:48 a.m.

According to Lt. Sierjie Lash, the south side of the home was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. There was heavy fire in the basement.

Photo courtesy of a neighbor who lives across the street from a home on 18th Street.

The girl's family said she was a second-grader at Akron Preparatory School. An aunt, Olivia Boswell, told News 5 that Roniah was a great kid who loved to dance and was "the shining star of or little family."

An Akron firefighter was burned while trying to rescue the girl from the home. He is at home recovering, according to the department.

The Ohio State Fire Marshal is assisting with the investigation. A cause has not been determined and it's not clear whether the duplex had working smoke detectors.

Dave Hatala.

The medical examiner’s office said the results of the autopsy are pending.

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