(Rossville, TN) Two women died in Fayette County after a fatal fire destroyed their home.
Fire investigators are trying to figure how the fire started that killed the two sisters. It happened in the 100 block of Rodeo Road in Rossville, Tn.
Family and friends filled up this street tonight for those two sisters, but not only were they sisters, they were identical twins.
“It was too heated,” said Lynda Haywood who was one of the first people on the scene. “Too much fire so we really couldn’t just get them but we really tried. Lord knows, we tried.”
She desperately tried to save the two women inside as flames ripped through the house.
“There was two guys already in there trying to pull them out and I went to reach over the guys back, to help him pull the bed and something exploded,” said Haywood. “They were on fire so we had to back out and let it go. There was a car on the side of the house that exploded.”
Fayette County Fire says its unclear right now what started the fatal fire. Family members say the sisters were 47-year-old identical twins, Vickie and Victoria Hathaway.
“It’s still a shock to me,” said Mary McGhee, a family friend. “It’s a shock, I’m in shock, I can’t believe it.”
The victims’ sister, Patricia Richardson says only one word describes the loss, “Devastated.”
She was outside with her son when her house went up in flames. Richardson is broken-hearted to know her sisters could not run for their lives when the fire broke out.
“They had rheumatoid arthritis,” said Richardson. “They couldn’t walk. They were bedridden.”
As word of the tragedy spread, family and friends filled up the street in love and support for the twins.
“There were well loved by all of the people around here,” said Haywood. “Everybody knew them and loved them.”
The state fire marshal will take over this investigation and try to determine how the fire may have started.