Body found in burning home in Whitwell

WHITWELL, Tennessee (WDEF) – A late night fire in Marion County leaves one person dead.

A fire tore through a home on Alvin York Highway on Wednesday night. Several different fire department’s responded.

“We arrived on scene and I got out of the truck and I realized it was my grandfather’s house as soon as we stopped,” said Johnathan Maxwell, a firefighter with the Whitwell Volunteer Fire Department.

Maxwell found out his cousin was inside and didn’t make it.

“It is heartbroken to know one of your family members to go that way. He was all alone, there was no one there to comfort him in that time,” Maxwell said.

He remembers his cousin as a helpful person.

“He always took care of my grandfather’s place the best he could, by whatever means he could,” Maxwell said.

The fatal fire is now under investigation.

“So the body was sent to Nashville for an autopsy, which will then be able to shed more light on whether or not he died from the fire or natural causes before the fire or something else,” said Assistant Chief Charles McEntyre, with the Crossroads Fire Department.

Firefighters had to come back to the scene Thursday morning.

“At 6:45 we got a call that it was fully engulfed again, that would make it suspicious in our minds, but that again will be pending further investigation,” McEntyre said.

For Maxwell, he had his firefighter family to help him through this.

“It’s hard but it wasn’t as hard as it was because I have my family here and they always have my back and they have me 24/7 no matter what day it is, they pulled me aside, my assistant chief matt davis, pulled me aside, his wife pulled me aside and took me home, so I could tell my mother,” he said.

He’s hoping for support during this difficult time.

“Keep my family and his brother in your prayers because they are going to need this,” Maxwell said.

Firefighters say there were no smoke detectors in the home.