HANOVERTON Fire sweeps home, kills 10-year-old

Family and firefighters tried to reach the boy, but smoke and heat prevented his rescue.
HANOVERTON -- Investigators suspect an overloaded electrical outlet sparked a fire that killed a 10-year-old boy late Saturday.
Brian Ramsey died in the fire, which occurred at 31586 McKaig Road, Hanoverton Fire Chief Dick Wilson said.
Wilson said the fire was reported about 11:30 p.m. Flames were coming out an upstairs window when fire crews arrived, he said.
Smoke, heat: "Our assistant chief lives nearby and was first on the scene," Wilson said. "He tried to get up there, but couldn't because of the smoke and the heat. By the time we reached the boy, I guess it was too late."
Wilson said five others escaped the fire. He said the state fire marshal and county fire investigators were called, a normal procedure in any fatal fire.
No loss estimate has been determined, Wilson said. The upstairs of the home was heavily damaged, and there was smoke and water damage to the downstairs, he said.
According to a report by the sheriff's department, several adults and children were in the home at the time of the fire. Details on relationships of those in the home and whether the boy lived there are unclear.
Found in bedroom: The report said the boy was found in an upstairs bedroom in front of a kerosene heater. The overloaded electrical outlet was in another bedroom, Wilson said.
Family members told deputy sheriffs that the children went to bed about 8 p.m. and that about 11 p.m. something fell upstairs and smoke began to filter downstairs. Some family members tried to reach the boy but were prevented by smoke, and then everyone went outside until firefighters arrived, they said.