A Tuesday morning fire on March 14 completely destroyed the Camden home of Dean Warren and his 18-year-old daughter Jacklyn. According to the owner of the property the fire started about 9 a.m. and burned with such intensity, it caught the garage on fire later in the evening, burning into the night and even into the next day.
Deputies from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), firefighters from Chalk Level (CLFD) and City of Camden Fire Departments, staff from Benton County Electric System, and workers with the Tennessee Department of Transportation responded to the fire.
The BCSO deputy first on the scene advised dispatchers that the house was fully engulfed, and that the eastbound lane of the highway would be closed for safety. Later, 911 dispatchers received additional calls after the fire departments had left the scene advising that the fire reignited.
BCSO and CLFD returned to the property, where they were advised that the homeowners were letting the house burn. They agreed to return if the homeowners called to report that it was getting out of control. By noon on Wednesday, the property was still smoking.
The fire marshal ruling is inconclusive at this time but noted that the fire probably started either in the clothes dryer or the water heater. The house located on Hwy. 70 West in Camden was a total loss.
The Warren family lost everything except the clothes they were wearing, including a pet chihuahua, Daisy, a mama cat, Keekee, and her two kittens. At first someone said they thought the pets were picked up and taken to the Benton County Animal Shelter, but this information turned out to be false.
“They found the remains of the cats but that is all at this time,” said Wayne Warren, father and grandfather of the residents.
“We did manage to save our white bulldog, Macy,” reported Dean, who said he was at work next door when the fire broke out. “My daughter was still asleep, but we got her out.”
A go-fund-me page has been set up by Sarah Hensley for the Warrens for anyone wishing to help this family. Visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/deano-and-jacklyn-warren for more information.
On the site, Hensley wrote, “Deano and his autistic daughter Jacklyn Warren lost their home in a house fire. They’ve lost everything. Not sure about sizes, but any and everything would help and be extremely appreciated!”
