Hendersonville fatal house fire victim identified
Hendersonville Fire Department officials have identified the female victim who died in a fatal house fire on Sept. 28.
Joyce Hollis, 70, died of her injuries in the fire at the Harbor Drive home, according to a press release from the Hendersonville Fire Department.
Another person inside the home, Hollis’ husband, survived the fire, Hendersonville Fire Chief Scotty Bush said.
“He’s the one that actually called the call in,” Bush said.
Units from several Hendersonville Fire arrived on scene shortly after 2 p.m. Sep. 28 when dispatch communicated with first responders that a victim was still inside the home.
The first arriving fire unit on scene found excessive fire, heat and smoke, then began an aggressive interior search for the victim.
Efforts to resuscitate the victim were unsuccessful, according to the press release.
Responders remained on scene until 6 p.m. where extensive salvage and overhaul efforts were completed to ensure the fire had been extinguished.
“(Crews were) looking for hidden fires like in roof lines, walls because we did have such a large amount of fire, lots of times it’ll get in walls and stay and smolder, so you’ve got to pull the sheet rock down and make sure it’s not just sitting there smoldering,” Bush said.
“Insulation between walls can sit and smolder and then we end up coming back for a rekindle.”
The Fire Prevention Bureau conducted an investigation into the cause and origin of the fire, ultimately classifying it as undetermined.
There was quite a bit of fire, very difficult to point to one area of origin,” he said.
As colder weather quickly approaches, Hendersonville Fire officials encourage residents to refresh their fire safety procedures and test smoke detectors inside the home. Bush highlighted the importance of working smoke detectors as the number one life safety prevention in residential fires.
Another fire safety tip, keeping doors closed at night, restricts the flow path of a fire and reduces heat smoke damage to the home.
To have a smoke detector installed, contact (615) 822-1119 to schedule an installation time.
Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com or (615) 517-1285.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hendersonville fatal house fire victim identified
