ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 10, 1996 TAG: 9602120032
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LISA K. GARCIA STAFF WRITER
The Henry County Department of Social Services is investigating the death of a 6-month-old girl left alone in a house with her 1 1/2- and 2 1/2-year-old siblings. An electric stove caused the house to catch fire.
Rescue workers took Keysha Thomas and her brother and sister to Memorial Hospital of Martinsville & Henry County Thursday afternoon. Keysha was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, according to a county news release. Lt. Kimmy Nester of the Henry County Sheriff's Office said an autopsy today will determine the cause of death, but smoke inhalation is suspected.
Latasha Thomas, 2 1/2, and Deonte Thomas, 1 1/2, were flown to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C., where they were listed in critical condition Friday night.
Nester said Vivian L. Thomas, 31, left her children alone for at least 30 minutes while she went to her landlord's house to use the phone.
Thomas told investigators she cooked earlier in the day and forgot to turn off the oven. It was left on at 500 degrees for several hours.
The heat ignited nearby walls and kerosene stored for use in a space heater.
Nester said a plastic container filled with kerosene was next to the stove.
``It filled the house with a tremendous amount of black smoke when it burned,'' Nester said. There were no smoke detectors in the house, Nester said.
Thomas called for help from her landlord's house after discovering the fire about 3:30 p.m.
Firefighters found the children in a bedroom.
The fire was deemed accidental by investigators, but the Sheriff's Office requested an investigation by social services. They will be assisted by the Sheriff's Office, state police and the Henry County fire marshal's office.
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines KEYWORDS: FATALITYby CNB