The body of Thomas Haskins was a day away from being cremated – and his closest kin didn’t even know he was dead.A fatal house fire reported Wednesday near Warsaw appears to have started near a portable heater in the basement, according to Kosciusko County fire investigators.
Through interviews, investigators determined the heater was used in an attempt to thaw frozen water pipes in the house Tuesday evening, officials said.
The blaze was reported about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at 2147 Chapman Lake Drive. The fire’s intensity kept firefighters from entering the home, and the remains of a person were later found in the rubble of the destroyed structure. The person’s identity has not been released.
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
