Investigators haven’t ruled out arson in a fire that damaged a Winchester home less than seven hours into the new year.
Winchester and Clark County firefighters were both called to 21 Kentucky St. Tuesday morning, with city firefighters receiving the first call at 6:43 a.m. No one was in the home at the time, officials said. Smoke was showing when the first firefighters arrived on the scene.
Winchester Fire-EMS Maj. Rob Carmichael said the fire itself was contained to the living room, and the rest of the home received smoke and heat damage. A day after the fire, there are still several questions to be answered.
“We have the origin,” Carmichael said. “(The cause) is still under investigation. It’s considered suspicious and arson has not been ruled out.”
Carmichael said an arson K9 unit was brought to the scene Tuesday and several items were collected for testing. Those items will be delivered to the lab today for further examination, he said.
Investigators have already spoken with the resident of the home, Carmichael said, who rented the home from Danny Banks.
Winchester Police are assisting with the investigation, Carmichael said.
Contact Fred Petke at fpetke@winchestersun.com.
