A family of four have died in their beds after a fire swept through their house in the middle of the night.
Parents Jamie I. Franks, 35, and Robyn A. Franks, 36, along with Brody West, 9, and Joise Franks, 3, perished in the fire early Sunday in rural Savannah, Tennessee.
Around 1.20am, a neighbor spotted flames roaring from the single story home and called 911, Hardin County Fire Chief Melvin Martin told WOPC.
Fire crews rushed to the scene within 10 minutes of the call, but found the house engulfed in flames and were unable to make entry.
Brody West, 9, and Joise Franks, 3, (together left) perished in the house fire early Sunday alongside parents Jamie I. Franks, 35, and Robyn A. Franks, 36 (together right)
Jamie Franks is seen with his four children. The older son and daughter (seen with faces obscured) survived because they were staying with their mother at the time of the fire
After the fire was extinguished, the bodies of the family were all found in their beds, fire officials said.
Robyn Franks worked as a waitress, according to her Facebook profile.
Jamie Franks suffered from nerve injuries sustained in a logging accident several years ago, but worked three jobs to support his family, a neighbor told the local press.
He had two other children, a young son and daughter, who were spared because they were staying with their mother at the time of the fire.
The tragedy sparked an outpouring of grief from friends and family in the community.
‘Literally heartbroken right now,’ wrote friend Allie Kirkland on Facebook. ‘Prayers for Robyn’s family. She was such an amazing person who cared for everyone, especially her family.’
Josie and Brody are seen together in a family photo. The tragedy sparked an outpouring of grief from friends and family in the community
The Franks’ family home is seen in the file photo. A neighbor noticed the flames and called 911, but the home was engulfed with flames when fire crews arrived, making rescue impossible
Family members have established a GoFundMe page to help pay for funeral arrangements.
The cause of the blaze has not been determined, and it is unknown whether there were working smoke detectors in the home, Chief Martin said.
Investigators with the States Fire Marshals Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are looking into the cause of the fire.
‘This is every firefighter’s worst fear, having people inside a burning residence and not being able to do anything to save them,’ the Hardin County Fire Department said in a statement.
‘Please remember the families in this terrible tragedy as well as the Hardin County Firefighters that responded to the scene. Please make sure your smoke alarms work.’