A state official says an electric heater is likely the cause of a blaze in eastern Kentucky that killed four children and their father.

Ricki Gardenhire, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet which oversees the state Fire Marshal's Office, told the Appalachian News-Express that preliminary results of an investigation indicate the heater caused the blaze.

All five victims at the home in the Pike County community of Jonancy were found in a room that contained the heater.

Relatives and neighbors identified the dead as Billy Wilfong and his children, 5-year-old Dakota Lee; 4-year-old Tyler Lane; 2-year-old Cheyenne and Emily, who was 6 months old. The children's mother, Tammie Tucker, is being treated for severe burns at University of Kentucky Medical Center.

Officials say the home did not contain fire detectors.