December 9, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
The name of the victim in Tuesday night’s deadly structure fire on Jacobs Pillar Road has now been released by investigators.
In an update Thursday, Sheriff Patrick Ray said 43-year-old Edward Layne Lemmons died in the blaze, but the cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The investigation is ongoing by TBI fire investigators and the Sheriff’s Department.
Lemmons was reportedly upstairs at his 5056 Jacobs Pillar Road home when the fire started, and he couldn’t escape.
Central dispatch received the fire call at around 8 p.m. County firefighters, DeKalb EMS, and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department rushed to the scene.
The home was extensively damaged.
Sheriff Ray said TBI fire investigators were contacted as is customary especially when there is a fire fatality.
In addition to DeKalb EMS, TBI, and Sheriff’s Department, members of the Blue Springs, Short Mountain Highway, Belk, Cookeville Highway, Main Station, and Liberty Stations of the DeKalb County Fire Department responded along with the county medical examiner. County Fire Chief Donny Green said a special thanks goes to neighbors in the community who assisted by bringing in heavy equipment used in the recovery effort.
Lemmons’ body was sent to Nashville for an autopsy