Lexington house fire leaves 1 dead. Fire department, coroner investigating
One person has died in a Lexington house fire that started Thursday morning, according to the Lexington Fire Department.
The fire started in the 1000 block of Gainesway Drive, according to Maj. Derek Roberts from the fire department. Roberts said firefighters were dispatched around 6 a.m. and found smoke visible from outside the home.
One victim was located inside the home, and the Fayette County Coroner’s Office was called to the scene to investigate the death.
“As crews started extinguishment efforts and during the course of their efforts, they located a victim that was already deceased,” Roberts said.
Fire investigators were also at the scene Thursday to determine where the fire started and what caused it. A spokesperson for the Lexington Police Department said they are conducting a death investigation to determine if anything criminal happened.
Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said his office was called just after 6 a.m. The Fayette County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Darrell Gross, 63. His cause and manner of death are pending investigation.
Ginn said he’s fairly sure what the cause of death is but the manner of death is still pending. He said he will wait to make preliminary determinations until after the autopsy.
“We are definitely interested in the origin of the fire, which arson investigators are currently here and working hard,” Ginn said.
Maj. Derek Roberts said the fire was reported by a civilian who saw smoke coming out of the home. Firefighters saw smoke and flames upon arrival.
An hour and a half after the fire, several fire trucks and other emergency response vehicles were still at the scene.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
This story was originally published May 25, 2023 at 7:36 AM.
