Fire that claims 3-year old and grandmother under investigation

GREENVILLE – Authorities said that a fire that claimed the life of a 72-year old woman and her 3-year old great-granddaughter last month remains under investigation. Greenville Fire Chief Lee Gordon said that on Jan. 17, Louise Mays and her great-granddaughter, Jasmine Thompson, both died in a fire at Mays’ residence at 529 Persimmons Street.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, about 9:13 p.m., the single-story wood frame structure was fully engulfed in flames. Gordon said nine firefighters responded and Mays and Thompson were both found in the living room area.

“They were found on the floor and Ms. Mays was pronounced dead at the scene by our coroner,” Gordon said. “The child still had a pulse when she was brought out and she was transported to Delta Regional Medical Center where she died later on. Any death is a tragedy. But when it’s a child, it’s just terrible.”

Gordon said the fire began in the kitchen, but the cause of the blaze has yet to be determined. A report from the assistant fire marshal’s office is expected next week.

There were no other reported injuries in the fire, but Gordon said the houses next door to Mays’ sustained some minor heat damage.

Mays and Thompson were the first fire fatalities in Greenville this year, but Gordon agrees that Mississippi has more fatalities from fires than any other state.

“I think a lot of it has to do with Mississippi having poorer regions,” Gordon said. “Particularly in the Delta region you have a lot of low income houses and the fire department is doing a lot more with the educational process of fire safety.”

Gordon said the Greenville Fire Department, in cooperation with Wal-Mart, Lowes and other contributors, donate and install smoke detectors in the homes of the elderly and disabled.

“We get a list of names from various organizations and we’ll go out and install the smoke detectors in their homes for free,” he said.

While Greenville is one of the few cities within the state with full-time firefighters on duty at all times, many stations in smaller municipalities have volunteer firefighters.