Grandmother and three grandchildren killed in Kentucky house fire

A Bell County woman and her three grandchildren died in a house fire early Tuesday.

Those who died in the blaze were Beulah Mullins, 59; Sierra Posey, 12; Cynthia Posey, 11; and Shawn Posey, who was 8, according to Kentucky State Police.

Mullins had had custody of three children for more than five years, according to a release.

Jennifer Posey, the children’s mother, told WBIR that Sierra was found on a couch, Shawn on another couch and Cynthia and Beulah Mullins together. Posey said they all often sleep in the home’s central room, which has a stove heater.

Local authorities said the fire was reported about 3:30 a.m. The house was on Hurst Hollow Road near Middlesboro., in the Hutch community.

Several fire departments responded to battle the blaze. First responders found the bodies of Mullins and her grandchildren inside the house, the release said.

The cause of the fire had not been determined as of midday Tuesday. A state police arson investigator was at the scene to investigate the cause, but the agency said no foul play was suspected.

Beulah’s late husband, Dillard Mullins, died in 2018, according to an obituary.

The children attended Bell Central School, where a memorial was set up Tuesday. “Our hearts are breaking,” the school wrote on Facebook.

The mother of the children told WYMT all three they “were wonderful kids.”

“I don’t know. That makes me feel so numb. I can’t believe they’re gone,” Posey said. ([Beulah) was nice...she helped anybody and everybody. Sierra, she loved dogs and rabbits. Cynthia, she loved running around, played and hollered all the time, and played with her puppies. Shawn, he always liked to climb. I called him my little monkey. He would climb on anything.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover funeral costs.

This story was originally published January 7, 2020 at 11:55 AM.