Unattended Cooking Blamed for Deadly Virginia Fire

Unattended cooking is being blamed for a deadly house fire in Virginia.

Martinsville Fire Marshal Ted Anderson says investigators found a mound of molten metal within a burner of a kitchen stove. It appears something was left cooking in a device, most likely a pot.

A city news released identified the victims as 50-year-old Loronia Annette Millner and her 7-year-old granddaughter, Tiarra Millner. The child was spending the night with her grandmother.

The cause of the deaths hasn’t been determined.

The fire was reported at 11:45 p.m. Monday.

Anderson says unattended cooking is the leading cause of accidental fires in Martinsville.