Five die in Hardy County mobile home fire

Jan. 7—MATHIAS, W.Va. — Five people, including four children, were killed in an early morning mobile home fire Saturday in Hardy County, the West Virginia State Fire Marshal's Office said.

Hardy County 911 received a call at about 5 a.m. for a fire on Woods Edge Road in the eastern end of the county near Lost River State Park. Investigators said the mother was able to escape the blaze and was transported to a Virginia hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries.

The children's ages ranged from 1 to 5 and a 28-year-old man also was killed, investigators said. All of the victims lived in the mobile home.

Deputy State Fire Marshal Jason Baltic told MetroNews the mother was able to run next door to seek help from relatives.

"A couple of those family members ran over to the mobile home, they tried to get in through windows and such to attempt to get the children and adult male out. The fire, smoke and heat had just progressed so much they couldn't even make it through the windows," Baltic told MetroNews.

The victims, who were not identified, were transported to the West Virginia Medical Examiner's Office for autopsy and positive identification.

"Cathy and I are deeply saddened by the tragedy in Hardy County," Gov. Jim Justice said in a social media post Saturday. "Our hearts go out to the affected family, and we ask for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."

The cause of the fire is undetermined due to the severe amount of damage to the structure. Baltic told MetroNews the fire began in the living room and the family was using space heaters although he was unsure if they contributed to the cause.

No smoke alarms were found among the debris, he said.