Helenwood woman dies in fire
HELENWOOD — An elderly woman reportedly died in a residential fire here Sunday afternoon.
Frankie Jean Ester, 72, was pronounced dead at St. Mary’s of Scott County shortly after her Galloway Drive residence caught fire.
Firefighters from the Mid-County Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the fire minutes before 3 p.m. Sunday, operating on information received by 911 dispatchers that a resident might be trapped inside the home. Crews from Oneida and Huntsville fire departments quickly joined Mid-County at the scene.
Due to the fast response, the fire was quickly brought under control. However, Ester was discovered inside the residence. She was reportedly located near the back door. Efforts to revive her were unsuccessful.
The exact cause of death was not clear as the Independent Herald went to press Tuesday morning. Funeral arrangements were incomplete..
The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office joined the Scott County Sheriff’s Department in investigating the blaze. Sheriff Anthony Lay said Tuesday morning that the investigation into the cause of the fire was continuing.
The fire was one of several responded to by local firefighters in recent days, most of them brush fires.
On Wednesday (Feb. 11), no fewer than five of the county’s nine fire departments were tied up at the same time by a pair of blazes.
In the Paint Rock community, a residence just off Tunnel Hill Road was destroyed by a fire that began shortly after 1 p.m. Firefighters from the Oneida Fire Department, Pine Hill Volunteer Fire Department and Mid-County Volunteer Fire Department joined Paint Rock Fire Department at the scene. Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading into the woods behind the home (related photos, page A6).
Almost simultaneously, an electrical transformer exploded on U.S. Hwy. 27 in Elgin, drawing a response from the South Scott Volunteer Fire Department. The explosion sparked a small fire at the base of the pole, which quickly spread into the brush with the help of high winds. However, South Scott firefighters were able to quickly contain the blaze.
On Friday, Oneida Fire Department responded to a brush fire at Ponderosa Estates, near the golf course, while fire departments at South Scott and Huntsville were summoned to a brush fire on Brimstone Road.
On Monday afternoon, East 63 Volunteer Fire Department responded to a brush fire on the east end of Scott County.