Clark man dies in rural house fire

Published 6:26 pm Tuesday, July 23, 2019

A Clark County man died Tuesday afternoon after his home caught fire and burned to the ground.

Officials had not released the person’s identity at the scene.

Clark County Fire Chief Ernie Barnes said the house on Cunningham Lane off Kiddville Road was fully involved when firefighters reached the scene after 2 p.m. Tuesday.

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“We … saw the smoke almost as soon as we left town,” Barnes said.

The single story home was still burning heavily when the trucks arrived, and eventually collapsed from the fire, he said.

Barnes said there were two people in the home when the fire was reported. One got out without incident, but the initial reports were that the man went back inside the burning house, he said.

Eventually, firefighters from Clark County, Winchester, Clay City and Hargett Fire-Rescue near Irvine responded, along with an arson and explosives investigator from the Kentucky State Police.

Barnes said he does not suspect foul play was involved, but the debris indicated there may have been an explosion of some type. The residents used home oxygen, he said, but did not know if that was a factor in the fire.

Barnes said late Tuesday afternoon that he had not been able to interview any of the neighbors yet.

The remote location also played a factor, he said. The house was at least 20 minutes from downtown Winchester with limited access to water. Clark County and other departments sent their tanker trucks to the scene to assist.

The Clark County Coroner’s office also responded to the scene.

About Fred Petke

Fred Petke is a reporter for The Winchester Sun, the Jessamine Journal and the State Journal. His beats include cops, courts, fire, public records, city and county government and other news. To contact Fred, email fred.petke@bluegrassnewsmedia.com or call 859-759-0051.

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