Fire sends Kentucky firefighter to hospital. One missing person found alive

A firefighter was airlifted to a hospital and one person who was unaccounted for was later located alive after a large fire in Laurel County Monday, according to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire happened around 3:30 p.m. at an abandoned building-garage off the West Cumberland Gap Parkway near I-75 in Laurel County on the north side of Corbin. The sheriff’s office said a few individuals were in the building when the fire sparked.

One person was unaccounted for after the initial investigation, but was located alive by sheriff’s investigators on Tuesday afternoon.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the building is being thoroughly searched to make sure no one was caught inside when the fire erupted,” investigators reported.

A volunteer firefighter was injured in the incident and airlifted to the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital. The sheriff’s office said the extent of firefighter’s injuries was unknown, but Supporting Heroes, a non-profit organization that helps families of fallen first responders, said the firefighter had serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The cause of the fire has not been released as of Tuesday morning. The sheriff’s office said investigators plan to return to the scene Tuesday morning to investigate and search for the missing person.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms plan to be on scene Tuesday to help with the investigation, according to the sheriff’s office. The state fire marshal’s office has been advised.