Coroner IDs man killed in Dayton house fire

DAYTON — A man is dead after a fire in Dayton Monday night.

The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office identified the man Thursday as 65-year-old David Beauchamp.

Just before 8 p.m., Dayton firefighters were called to the 100 block of Bierce Avenue to reports of flames seen coming out the front of the home, according to District Fire Chief David Grubb.

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Grubb said crews quickly arrived on scene and made an aggressive attack. While searching the home, they found Beauchamp dead in the front room, which was a living room that had been converted into a bedroom.

Neighbors watched as they hoped firefighters would bring anyone inside out alive.

“It smelled like fireworks, my son was like ‘mom it’s fireworks’...so I walked outside and I smelled the smoke. So I ran around the corner and then saw the front of the house engulfed in flames,” Misty Applon said.

It made Applon realize her worst fears.

“That’s my worst fear, is my house catching on fire and me not being able to get out of the house with my kids and I feel for the family because that’s not something you want to find out,” she said.

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David Grubb, district fire chief for Dayton Fire Department, said while the fire did spread throughout the house it seems like it started in the front of the home.

“The bulk of the fire was in the front room on the first floor,” Grubb said.

The Red Cross has been called to help any other occupants who may have to find somewhere else to stay due to the fire, he added.

This is the third deadly fire in Dayton in the past eight days.

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