STANLEY DUNLAP
Jacksonsun.com
Reprinted with Permission

STANTONVILLE - McNairy County Sheriff Ricky Roten said one person died in a fire that broke out at the Statonville Pallet Warehouse on Monday afternoon. Roten said he could not provide any details Monday night about the person who died because the body had not yet been identified. Investigators with the state fire division are trying to determine how and what happened, he said.

"We're still waiting to confirm (who the person is)," Roten said. "I've got investigators with the state that we're working with on this fire."

Hardin County Fire Chief Melvin Martin said Monday afternoon that authorities were searching for a warehouse employee who was believed to be missing.

Dozens of firefighters were called in to contain the fire at the warehouse on Dennie Barber Road around 2:30 p.m. Monday, Martin said. He said around 20 fire trucks and additional tankers responded from fire departments in McNairy County and Hardin County.

The fire was under control by around 5:30 p.m., Martin said.

By 7:45 p.m., much of the outside of the building had folded over like crumpled cardboard as a group of firefighters worked to put out the last flames.

"Now we're trying to clear it out and determine how it happened," said John Rose, a first responder liaison with Guys Fire Department. "We don't have any information on why or how it started. Primarily, it's a wait-and-see situation."

A representative of the warehouse could not be reached for comment Monday.