From the Office of DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden:
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — On Thursday, a call came into the DeKalb County 911 line reporting a structure fire off of Highway 75 near the Georgia state line.
Cartersville, Henagar, and the Tri-Community Fire Departments all responded to the scene. DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and the Ider Police Department also responded to assist. The trailer was fully involved when firefighters arrived on scene.
During the course of battling the blaze, five fatalities were discovered inside the structure. The remains were transported to The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Huntsville for an autopsy that began today.
While the autopsy is not yet complete, the identities of 4 out of 5 victims have been confirmed. Work will continue on Monday to confirm the last victim, an adult male.
The names of the confirmed victims are: Kayla Jackson (age 26), Kaylon Stotts (age 4), Jaycee Stotts (age 3), and Harley Stotts (age 18 months).
The incident is currently under investigation by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Fire Marshalls, and Jacksonville State University Center for Applied Forensic Sciences.
DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said of the incident: “I’d like to ask for the community to pray for the family in the wake of this tragic incident. It’s especially tragic when the loss involves young children. I’d also like to ask for patience when it comes to this investigation.”
“When such a great loss of life occurs, we must be thorough in handling the aftermath. We owe it to this family to provide answers, especially when children are lost. We’ll update with more information as the investigation progresses,” he said.
“God Bless!” Said Sheriff Welden.
