WAYNESBORO, TN — Three people died and two others were hospitalized after a house fire in Wayne County, Tennessee, early Monday, according to officials. The victims were identified as a grandfather and two of his grandchildren, both children.
The oldest grandchild, 12-year-old Tylen Scribner, made it out of the home with his grandmother, Joan Warren. Family friends said both were being treated at a Nashville-area hospital and were in serious condition.
Officials have not yet said what caused the fire. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is handling the case, and the blaze occurred at a home in the 100 block of Vaughn Street in Waynesboro.
Grandfather and two young grandchildren were killed in the blaze
Authorities said the people who died were Paul Warren, the children’s grandfather, along with 11-year-old Aria Scribner and 6-year-old Grayson Scribner. The two children were siblings.
The surviving family members were pulled from the fire by Tylen Scribner, who is also a grandchild of Warren. According to the account shared by family friends, he managed to get himself and his grandmother out before the fire proved fatal for three others in the home.
The deaths left the Waynesboro family facing both immediate grief and a critical medical situation. The surviving grandmother and grandson remained in serious condition after being taken to the hospital.
The fire happened at a home on Vaughn Street in Waynesboro
The fire broke out at a residence in the 100 block of Vaughn Street in Waynesboro, a community in Wayne County. Officials confirmed it happened early Monday morning.
No additional details about the home, the extent of the damage, or how the fire started were immediately released. Investigators have not announced a conclusion on the cause, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is continuing to work the incident.
For residents, the location has become the center of a tragedy that unfolded before sunrise and quickly turned deadly for one local family.
Family friends said the surviving grandmother and grandson remain in serious condition
Family friends said Joan Warren and Tylen Scribner were stable but still in serious condition at a Nashville-area hospital. The two were the only family members confirmed to have escaped the fire.
Tylen Scribner, 12, is being credited with helping get both himself and his grandmother out of the home. That detail has become central to the family story as the community learns what happened inside the house.
Because officials have not released a full timeline, it remains unclear exactly how the escape unfolded. What is known is that the injuries were severe enough to require hospital care far from the scene in Wayne County.
Waynesboro residents gathered for a vigil at Ray’s Chapel Middle School gym
In the hours after the fire, the community came together for a vigil hosted by Ray’s Chapel in Waynesboro. It was held Monday night in the Waynesboro Middle School gymnasium.
The church said on Facebook that the gathering was meant to support the family, friends, students and others affected by the loss. The message asked the community to surround one another with love, strength and prayer.
Scenes like that are common after a local tragedy, but the scale of this one was especially painful because children were among the dead. The vigil offered residents a place to mourn and stand together while the investigation continued.
A fundraiser was launched as investigators continue to examine the cause
A fundraiser has also been established for the Warren family. Organizers set up a GoFundMe to help with needs created by the fire and the aftermath for relatives and survivors.
At the same time, the official focus remains on determining how the blaze started. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is working the incident, but no cause has been announced.
For now, the family and the community are left with confirmed losses, two critical hospitalizations and unanswered questions about a fire that changed several lives in a matter of minutes.
From the Twin Cities to the border and back, Travel Your Way keeps Minnesota informed.