Fire officials: Man falls asleep in bed, catches duplex on fire
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SOUTH JACKSON, Tenn.– An early morning fire damaged a duplex in South Jackson on Tuesday. Investigators say the fire broke out around 4:50 a.m. on Young Street. Firefighters say someone inside was smoking in bed then fell asleep, catching the building on fire. “My girlfriend was screaming, said her mom and them’s house on fire,” said David Gunn, an eyewitness. Gunn‘s girlfriend has family who live in the adjoining unit. “There was fire trucks and police cars everywhere, kind of scared us,” he said. “My kid was screaming.” “Well, I woke up and I noticed it was real smokey in the living room,” said Ralph Donald Lowrance, Jr., fire victim. Lowrance says he got out and then went to tell the neighbors. “Black smoke was just roaring out from underneath it,” he said. “He just had a blanket wrapped around him, you know,” said Gunn. Firefighters estimate it took crews about 20 minutes to get the fire under control. “It started back in the bedroom, but it kind of spread you know,” said Gunn. “It’s totaled.” Lowrance says there is nothing left and he does not have renters insurance. “He lost all his stuff you know and he’s an older guy,” said Gunn. Investigators say no one was injured.
