Tenn. House Fire Kills 9 Family Members

EVENSVILLE, Tenn. – A house fire killed nine members of a family, including six children, in eastern Tennessee early Saturday, officials said.

The fire occurred about 6:15 a.m. and may have started on the second floor, where the victims were sleeping, the Rhea County emergency dispatch center said.

Funeral director Randy Garrison identified the dead as Reba Ann Alexander, 42; Krystal Alexander, 25; Misty Marie Alexander, 23; John David Smith II, 17; Jennifer Marie Edwards, 10; Lexie Weaks, 5; Angel Dawn Weaks, 2; Jaden Rhea Sullivan, 1; and Clarissa Sanchise, 1.

The victims were members of an extended family, Garrison said.

A 19-year-old man was able to escape unharmed from the first floor of the two-story house, the dispatch center said.

Authorities were still investigating the cause of the fire.

Evensville is 38 miles north of Chattanooga.