An investigation is underway by the Smithville Police and Fire Departments and State Fire Marshal’s Office to determine the cause of a mobile home fire Sunday which claimed the lives of three people including a man, woman, and child, and seriously injured another woman and child.
Dead are 27 year old Jeremy Shelton, 36 year old Crystal Fults, and 4 year old Caylix Johnson. Two others, 26 year old Heather Standridge and 23 month old Brantley Johnson were injured.
A passerby, Jerry Estes spotted the fire at 1276 South Mountain Street, Smithville. He also saw Standridge standing outside the trailer yelling that her children, the Johnson siblings, were still inside. 911 was alerted at 12:12 p.m. and members of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department and Police Department were summoned along with backup from the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department.
According to Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins, Estes climbed through a window, grabbed the 23 month old child, and pulled him to safety. After firefighters arrived, Lieutenant John Poss of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department rescued the 4 year old child. Shelton and Fults perished in the fire.
Standridge and the Johnson children were taken by DeKalb EMS to Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital. Standridge and the 23 month old, Brantley Johnson were later transported to Vanderbilt Hospital where they remain in the Intensive Care Unit. The 4 year old child, Caylix Johnson died at the hospital in Smithville.
The mobile home was destroyed in the fire. After the blaze was out, the county’s deputy medical examiner Terry Martin was called to the scene along with the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Firefighters and others huddled near the trailer to bow their heads in prayer for the victims. Members of the American Red Cross were also on site ready to offer support to the victims’ families.
The investigation is still underway by the Smithville Police Department, Smithville Fire Department, and the Tennessee Fire Marshall’s Office. Chief Collins said the official cause of fire at this time is still undetermined.