On May 9, 2024, at approximately 7:46 a.m. Lawrence County Fire & Rescue Tennessee Units responded to a residential structure fire at 3 Morgan Road in the New Prospect Fire District. First arriving units immediately initiated fire attack and search efforts. Firefighter’s quickly located victims with no viable life signs.
The following persons perished as a result of the fire. Jackson Lee Wissner age 7, Elizabeth Paige Brown age 18 (Pregnant with Child), and Travis Lee Wissner age 28. The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation responded to the scene to assist in the fire death investigation.
Fire Investigators with Lawrence County Fire & Rescue have concluded that a lightning strike can not be eliminated as a cause of the fire. Evidence on the scene, witness statements and lightning strike data place lightning in the area prior to the fire.
Working smoke alarms were not detected in dispatch recordings and the first arriving firefighters did not hear smoke alarms sounding on scene. The cause of the fire has been determined to be accidental with the most probable cause being a lightning Strike.
