4 children and their father killed in a fire caused by electric - WDRB 41 Louisville - News, Weather, Sports Community

4 children and their father killed in a fire caused by electric heater

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PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- A state official says an electric heater is likely the cause of a blaze in eastern Kentucky that killed four children and their father.

Ricki Gardenhire, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet which oversees the state Fire Marshal's Office, said that the preliminary results of an investigation indicate the heater caused the blaze.

All five victims at the home in the Pike County community of Jonancy were found in a room that contained the heater.

Relatives and neighbors identified the dead as Billy Wilfong and his children, 5-year-old Dakota Lee; 4-year-old Tyler Lane; 2-year-old Cheyenne and Emily, who was 6 months old. The children's mother, Tammie Tucker, is being treated for severe burns at University of Kentucky Medical Center.

Officials say the home did not contain fire detectors.

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    Thanks to a grant from Norton Healthcare, this story and others are available in real-time closed captioning on WDRB.