September 13, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
Investigators have found remains of a second body today only hours after the first body was discovered amid the ruins of a two-story log home at 566 River Watch Trace in the River Watch Community of DeKalb County which caught fire and burned to the ground early this morning.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, the condition of the bodies, because of the fire, left investigators unable to identify them. He said the remains have been sent to the medical examiner’s office in Nashville for possible identification through dental records. The origin of the fire and the cause of the deaths have also not been determined.
Because two vehicles were parked at the residence when firefighters arrived this morning, Sheriff Ray said investigators feared more than one body might be found inside the burned-out home.
“After the fire we found the first body,” said Sheriff Ray. “We later had to get some equipment to remove more rubbish and that’s when we found the other body,” he said.
Although the investigation is not complete, Sheriff Ray said no foul play is suspected at this time.
The Fire Investigation Division of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department have led the investigation.
Central dispatch received the call at 2:36 a.m. DeKalb County Fire Chief Donny Green said county firefighters arrived and found the structure fully involved in flames.
“911 got a call from a neighbor that had discovered that the house was fully involved and when firefighters got there, we found the second floor of the house had already collapsed. One vehicle there was already on fire and fully involved and another automobile had caught fire. We were able to put out the fire in the second car and we saved a detached garage that was next door,” said Chief Green.
Members of the Johnson’s Chapel Station, Midway Station, Four Seasons Station, Short Mountain Highway Station, and the two tanker trucks of the DeKalb County Fire Department were on the scene along with our fire department rehab unit, DeKalb EMS, and Sheriff’s Department in addition to the TBI’s Fire Investigation Division”, Chief Green added.