Wednesday morning at 7:54 a.m., W.R. Castle Fire and Rescue was dispatched to a residential fire on Rt. 1559 at Stambaugh.
Firefighters arrived 8 minutes later to find a fire in a mobile home.
Crews entered the home and quickly extinguished the fire, then searched the residence, finding 77-year-old Clarence VanHoose deceased in his bedroom.
A preliminary investigation by the Kentucky State Fire Marshal’s Office found no evidence of foul play and determined that the fire was likely caused by improperly discarded smoking materials.
There were no smoke detectors in the home.
One firefighter was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
In addition to the fire marshal, W.R. Castle was assisted by Rockhouse Fire & Rescue, Oil Springs Fire & Rescue, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and Paintsville EMS.