WINCHESTER, Ky. – A man charged in an apartment fire that killed three people, including his son, says he was drinking and smoking near his oxygen tank when it caught fire.

Police charged 55-year-old Jackie Hisle Jr. on Friday with three counts of second-degree manslaughter in the massive blaze at a Winchester apartment building that also injured at least five people.

Hisle told WKYT-TV on Monday that he won’t be able to forgive himself for the tragedy. He said he isn’t sure whether a lit cigarette or something in his ashtray sparked the blaze.

An arrest citation says Hisle had been warned previously about smoking near the oxygen tank.

Hisle is being held in the Clark County jail on a $1 million bond. It’s not clear whether he has an attorney.