State Police said Wednesday afternoon that a space heater placed close to combustible material is to blame for a deadly house fire in Scott County.
The preliminary report said Charles Wells, 51, died of smoke inhalation.
Investigators said he was home alone Tuesday night when his Scott County home caught fire. He died inside the home.
Wells was a prominent figure in the state Democratic Party. He spent 19-years as the leader and spokesman for the Kentucky Association of State Employees (KASE).
He left KASE in 2008 for a non-merit position as speical assistant in the state Personnel Cabinet during Steve Beshear's first-term as Governor.
He ran unsuccessfully for the state senate in 2003, losing to Republican Damon Thayer.
Wells was well-known and well-connected. He spent most of his adult life fighting to make sure state employees received a fair wage, fair benefits and fair treatment. He was a tireless worker for the Democratic Party.
Condolences have poured-in throughout the day from across the state and country.
