21-month-old killed in Hickman fire on Christmas Eve

A 21-month-old infant was killed in a Hickman fire on Christmas Eve. 

The Hickman Fire Department released a statement Tuesday that firefighters were called to a home on Walker Avenue and arrived to find the rear area of the house fully engulfed by the fire.

The department said that first contact with the tenants of the home reported an infant child still in the home and was said to be in the living room on the coach. The other seven occupants of the home had managed to escape the residence. 

Firefighters tried to enter the home both the front and rear but were unable to get in as the metal roof started to implode. Special equipment had to be called into to remove the metal roof so firefighters could gain entry. The child was found deceased once firefighters were inside the structure. 

The fire is believed to have been caused by electrical issues as the occupants reportedly stated that power glitches during the day had caused the heating unit to stop working. The homes residents were said to be heating the home with a Kerosene heater and the cooking stove. A loud popping sound was heard just before the lights went off and the fire was noticed in the rear of the house. 

Twenty-one firefighters were said to have responded to the fire which they fought for over seven hours. 

The Hickman Fire Department was assisted by Fulton County Fire and Rescue, Hickman Police Department, Ken-Tenn Ambulance, the Fulton County Coroner Office, and the Kentucky State Fire Marshall Office.