Lightning being blamed for fatal Tennessee house fire, 3 killed including pregnant woman
A lightning strike likely caused a Tennessee house fire that resulted in the deaths of three people including a pregnant woman, officials say.
On the morning of Thursday, May 9, officials responded to the residence of the fatal fire in Lawrenceburg, a city that is an estimated 80 miles from Nashville.
According to a press release from the Lawrence County Fire & Rescue Association, units began to try to put out the flames and search for potential victims. They found three people "with no viable life signs," identified as 7-year-old Jackson Lee Weissner, pregnant 18-year-old Elizabeth Paige Brown, and 28-year-old Travis Lee Weissner.
"Fire investigators with Lawrence County Fire & Rescue have concluded that a lightning strike can not be eliminated as a cause of the fire," officials said. "Evidence on the scene, witness statements, and lightning strike data place lightning in the area prior to the fire."
Responding firefighter units did not hear smoke alarm sounds, and the alarms were not detected in dispatch recordings. Per the press release, it was determined that the cause of the incident was "accidental, with the most probable cause being a lightning strike."
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Lawrence County Sheriff's Department helped with the investigation.
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Family members said the victims 'were wonderful people': Reports
Sharon Cassidy told WTVF she spoke with her twin brother Travis just minutes before the fire started.
"They were wonderful people, and I want everyone to know that," she said. "I know there are going to be people out there saying bad things about him. He had problems, but he was a good person. Jackson was a ray of sunshine. He was just starting out. He was a good student and nephew. Travis's fiancé was due to have their child in August, so I consider I lost four people in this fire not three."
Relative Cody Cassidy − who is also a volunteer firefighter and lived nearby −was one of the first people who arrived at the home to try to save his loved ones, according to the report. He said he initially tried to find Jackson, but the smoke was overwhelming.
Elizabeth's mother, Angela Brown, created a GoFundMe to assist the family. She had raised $930 of a $3,000 goal at the time of publication.