Three Die in Rural Logan County, Kentucky House Fire

Jan. 12, 2005
Three members of a rural Logan County family died when their house was destroyed by fire, Sheriff Wallace Whittaker said.
RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Three members of a rural Logan County family died when their house was destroyed by fire, Sheriff Wallace Whittaker said.

Ida Gaskie, 79, and two of her children, Helen Gaskie, 53, and Charles Gaskie, 51, died Tuesday morning in the blaze, Coroner Jackie Dunlap said. Four other family members escaped unhurt, he said.

``We don't know what time the fire started, but a crew was out graveling a road and they noticed the house on fire at 9:37 a.m. CST and reported it, but it was pretty well burned down by then,'' Dunlap said.

``They were all found by their beds,'' he said.

Whittaker said officials are trying to determine whether Charles Gaskie was smoking a cigarette in bed, which caused his mattress to ignite.

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