By Billy Davis

A kerosene space heater caused the Feb. 11 house fire south of Crenshaw that claimed four lives, the state fire marshal’s office announced Wednesday.

The heater was operating within two feet of a bed that was located in the mobile home’s living room, the state office reported.

At least two kerosene heaters could be seen standing amid the charred ruins of the single-wide mobile home, located two miles south of Crenshaw on Highway 3.

Fire investigators could quickly speculate where the fire began, but the living room was dotted with other possible sources that included a gas-powered generator and two gas heaters. Hand tools were also found nearby, leading to speculation that someone in the home was repairing the stowed items.

 “A lot of that stuff wasn’t connected to anything so it was immediately eliminated,” explained Panola sheriff’s deputy Gerald White, who led the fire investigation for the county.

White said investigators ruled out a kerosene heater in the kitchen and focused on a second one in the living room. That heater showed “heavy damage” around its base, where fire had eaten through the floor, he said.

“There were three mattresses laying on floor, less than 18 inches from the heater,” White further explained.

The state report parallels the account of eyewitness Marchello Stokes, who told The Panolian flames were shooting from the front door of the trailer home.

Stokes honked his horn and banged on the trailer to wake up the occupants, and he has been hailed a hero for his actions.   

Twelve people were sleeping in the single-wide trailer when the blaze began about 4 a.m., and eight people – two adults and six children — managed to escape.

The fire claimed the lives of Aletha Moore, 51; her daughter Naomie Moore, 24; and Naomie’s brother John Moore, 22.

The fourth fire victim, Forest Williams, 22, was the brother of homeowner Reginald Williams, 31, who was Naomie Moore’s boyfriend.  

Of the eight survivors, two adults and three children were treated for minor injuries and released at Tri-Lakes Medical Center, said hospital spokesman Dr. Mike Havens.

Two other children were sent from Tri-Lakes to The Med in Memphis and a third, a teenage girl, was flown there from the scene of the mobile home fire.

All eight survivors have been released, though one of them may have to be treated with skin grafts, The Clarion-Ledger reported.

Red Cross representative Tim Robinson said so many people were sleeping in the mobile home because they had nowhere else to live during the cold winter months. The relief agency interviewed Reginald Williams after the fire, he said.

The nighttime temperature had dipped to single digits on February 11, with several inches of snow on the ground.

Robinson said the relief agency has donated gift cards for food and clothing to Williams, the homeowner, and to the second adult who survived the blaze.  

“They lost everything they had. It all burned to the ground,” said Robinson, a Batesville resident.  

Robinson said Red Cross is accepting donations of clothing for the six children who survived: three girls ages 2, 11, and 14; and three boys ages 1, 5, and 13.

To donate clothing or other items, Robinson can be reached at 662-292-3319.

Red Cross also donated $2,000 to help defray costs of the four funeral services, Robinson said.

Mississippi has recorded 25 fire deaths since the beginning of the year, four more than the same period last year.

 At least six of the last eight fires were caused by heating sources, according to The Clarion-Ledger.