1 dead after house fire in Putnam County, Tennessee

PUTNAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – A fire broke out at a home in Putnam County Thursday evening, leaving one person dead and a first responder injured.

The Putnam County Fire Department (PCFD) said its crews, along with members of the Baxter Fire Department, were called to a residence where one person was located at approximately 9:20 p.m. on Thursday, May 23.

When emergency crews arrived at the home, they found it was already engulfed in flames and that someone was still inside. Firefighters entered the home through a window, rescued the victim from the fire, and within minutes handed him over to waiting medical personnel, according to the PCFD.

Emergency personnel indicated that the patient had no pulse, so they performed life-saving measures, restored the pulse, and stabilized the victim’s condition for transport to Cookeville Regional Medical Center.

However, while the patient was being transported to an out-of-county hospital for further treatment, he lost his pulse again. The ambulance rushed to the nearest hospital, but the patient eventually succumbed to his injuries, officials said.

A Putnam County firefighter was also taken to Cookeville Regional Medical Center for evaluation after reportedly sustaining minor injuries in the incident. That firefighter has since been released.

The PCFD said the cause of the fire is currently unknown, adding that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been called in to assist in the case, per protocol.

Because this fatal incident is currently under investigation, authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim.

No further details were released about the fatal fire on Thursday night.