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Crews search for missing person in Union, Ky., house fire

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Posted at 4:08 PM, Jan 21, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-22 21:46:26-05

UNION, Ky. — Crews are sifting through rubble to look for a person who has been missing since a large fire leveled a home Tuesday afternoon, according to Chief Michael Morgan.

Officials said they've brought search dogs to the site, but after spending much of Wednesday morning trying to pick up a scent, the search has still been unsuccessful. The fire department is now working to bring different types of machinery to the site to dig through the rubble.

"We are trying to get another piece of equipment that has an actual claw that can pick some of the actual house out," said Michael Morgan, Union Fire chief. "As you can see, it's very dangerous to be down in the lower level.

The fire, which started in a home on Caitlin Drive in Triple Crown, left behind so much damage that it’s been unsafe for crews and K-9s to search, Morgan said.

Family members of the missing person said they believe she was home when the fire started -- they say her car was in the garage. Family pets are also missing, according to family members.

Neighbors watching the fire said a woman lived alone in the house with her dogs.

"We are just praying that the lady who lives there ... got out, because they said the house was in flames ... in a matter of minutes, before the fire trucks even got here," a neighbor said.

Authorities have not released the identity of the person they’re looking for.