MILLERSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Millersville community is rallying around a family that suffered a heartbreaking tragedy.
Two brothers —10-year-old Braiden Myers and 4-year-old Bellamy Myers — died Wednesday after their duplex went up in flames.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Community members said they are mourning with the family.
The community reacts to this news above in the player.
Uncle John’s Diner on U.S. Highway 31 is where everyone in this small community will go to grab a bite to eat, including first responders.
"You get to know everybody on a first-name basis. It’s like family," Uncle John’s Diner server Deanna Marshall said.
Marshall, a server at the restaurant, said it’s typical to not see them after a devastating tragedy. The latest case of two young children dying in a duplex fire a few miles down the road is no exception.
"They deal with that and have to go home to their own children," Marshall said.
A memorial sits near the mailbox of the home, where the fire happened overnight on Wednesday.
Neighbors said the father of the children was able to escape safely and their mother was at work when the fire started. Investigators know the left side of the duplex had working smoke detectors, the investigation will reveal if the right side did.
The American Red Cross officials said those detectors do save lives.
"If a smoke detector can detect smoke, you have a greater chance of escaping a home fire. You only have two minutes of getting out of your home when there is a home fire," said Sherri McKinney, American Red Cross Nashville communications director.
They say anytime between October through the end of the holidays they see an uptick in home fires.
The family of the young boys have asked for their privacy and this small community is here to support them.
"Don't lose hope. It’s not easy to hear right now because it’s so fresh but they’re OK. They’re in a better place. I know it’s difficult to understand right now. God is there. You may not feel him right now but he’s there," Marshall said.
The American Red Cross is providing mental health services to the parents of the two boys.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Millersville Fire Department with the case.
The Red Cross does provide free smoke detectors and will come to your own to help plan out escape routes in case of a fire.
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