2 killed in house fire in Milledgeville
MILLEDGEVILLE, Tenn. — Two people are dead following a house fire in Milledgeville.
AT 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 18, Hardin County Fire received a call about a house fire in the 400 block of Ellis Road.
“We got a call the neighbors seen the house, and it was fully involved in flames, and unfortunately we had two fatalities. The two people that lived here died in the fire,” said Hardin County Fire Chief Melvin Martin.
It took around 15 to 20 minutes to put the fire out. Unfortunately, both residents died from their injuries, along with several pets.
“They did use wood heat, and wood heat is fine, but you have to be careful with it,” Martin said.
Officials believe the fire started from inside the house, and was possibly caused by a wood stove located in the living room area of the home.
“The house was already collapsed and fell in. So it was just a small house, but it didn’t take long [before] it was fully involved when somebody seen it. So it was just not survivable,” Martin said.
When arriving to the scene, the house was too far gone to check if there were any smoke alarms. Martin says having a smoke alarm could possibly save your life.
“This cold weather, everybody got heat and you have to be careful and make sure you have a working smoke alarm. That [is] your best chance to get alerted and get out,” Martin said.
The investigation has now been handed to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, as it remains active and ongoing
Martin advises you to be careful with space heaters and wood stoves, especially in the winter, as they could cause potential fires.
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