Three people are dead after a fire tore through a residential care facility in Fayette early Tuesday morning.
Fire crews were called to the Perkins Residential Care Center on South Main Street just after 6:30 a.m.
Officials say the building was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived about nine minutes later.
Six people were inside at the time three managed to escape, but three others were trapped inside and later found dead.
Co-Fire Chief Steven Morrow says the flames were too intense for firefighters to enter the structure safely, forcing them to battle the blaze from outside.
The cause remains under investigation, with state health officials confirming the facility is not a licensed nursing home.