Light Fixture Blamed for Fire that Killed 3 in Virginia

A James City County fire official says a light fixture is the probable cause of a house fire that killed three people.

Fire department District Chief Bob Ryalls tells The Daily Press that the Jan. 11 fire likely began in a ground-floor laundry room next to a staircase to the second floor.

Authorities have identified the victims as 53-year-old Douglas Johnson Sr., his 54-year-old wife, Sara Johnson, and their 24-year-old son, Douglas Johnson Jr. Ryalls says all three victims died from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of smoke inhalation.

Police helped another son escape the blaze through a second-story window.

Ryalls says there were no working smoke detectors in the house.