Fire damages Akron home: Morning blaze starts when homeowner tries to light gas fireplace; two cats killed.

Byline: Jim Carney

Dec. 15--A fire that started when a homeowner was attempting to light a gas fireplace caused an estimated $300,000 damage and killed two cats in North Akron on Thursday morning. The fire at 2084 Forest Edge Drive was confined to the family room and kitchen area on the first floor of the two-story home, but smoke and heat damage was extensive throughout the house, said Akron fire spokesman Johnnie Player. The blaze caused an estimated $150,000 damage to the home that was valued at $350,000 and another $150,000 to contents, Player said.

Homeowner Kelly Lambert, her sister and her sister's child were in the home when the blaze started, …