Church Hill Apartment Fire Claims One Life

CHURCH HILL, Tenn. – One woman is dead and three people were injured after an afternoon apartment fire on Silver Lake Road, Hawkins County Public Safety Director Mark Johnson said in a written statement.

Pauline Beatrice Sweet, 71, died in her apartment when her oxygen tank exploded as two other residents at the Landings, William Queen and Gary Meade, were trying to get her out, Johnson said.

Clayton Housewright, 68, who lived in apartment H-5 with Sweet, suffered serious burns and was flown to the nearest burn center.

“[Queen and Meade] are heroes,” Johnson said. “Both are credited with getting Housewright out of the apartment. They both risked their lives trying to get Sweet and Housewright out of the apartment.”

Two others were injured in the fire that destroyed nine residences in the H building at The Landings apartment complex, Johnson wrote, one of whom jumped from a second floor balcony and hurt herself in the fall, Johnson said. They remained hospitalized Sunday night.

Five families were displaced as a result and are being housed temporarily by the Red Cross. Fire officials say a total of nine apartments are currently uninhabitable due to the fire.

The 1:30 p.m. blaze spread quickly, Johnson said. However, emergency officials had it under control within 30 minutes. Fire investigators have not yet determined what caused the blaze.