(GRAVES COUNTY, Ky.) — A 79-year-old man died and his wife was seriously injured after a house fire destroyed their rural Kentucky home Sunday, authorities said.
Emergency crews received 911 calls at 11:20 a.m. Sunday reporting a residential fire at 12865 State Route 303, located just north of the Tennessee state line in Graves County.
Cuba Fire Department personnel battled treacherous road conditions and temperatures in the low teens while responding to the scene. The Sedalia Fire Department also assisted in the response.
According to investigators, Garvin R. Doran, 79, and his wife Faye Doran, 81, initially escaped the burning home. However, Mr. Doran told his wife he needed to go back inside to retrieve something and never came back out. The couple heated their home with a wood stove.
Faye Doran was transported to Jackson Purchase Medical Center before being transferred to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. She remains in serious condition.
Firefighters from Cuba battled the blaze and searched for the victim for hours in brutal cold conditions. The search was suspended Sunday evening as darkness fell and resumed Monday morning. At approximately 12:05 p.m. Monday, Cuba Fire personnel, Graves County Coroner Brad Jones and deputies located Garvin Doran’s body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The residence was a total loss.
Officials expressed appreciation for the Cuba and Sedalia fire departments’ efforts in the harsh weather conditions and extended condolences to the Doran family.
The fire and death remain under investigation by the Graves County Coroner’s Office and the Graves County Sheriff’s Office.
