Adopted Child Dies in Fire

A seven-year-old recently adopted child died in a Livingston, Tennessee fire on November 15, 2025. He remains nameless. The foster/adoptive mother remains nameless. They were having a birthday party. Three children died, but only one child was an adopted child.

“Livingston Fire Chief Rocky Dial said crews responded to reports of a residential structure fire in the …Railroad Street shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15. It took firefighters more than two hours to put out the flames.”

““One of her children that has aged out that doesn’t live in the house, he was a big part of rescuing the kids,” Upper Cumberland Foster Closet Director Autumn Weitzel said, adding that his glasses melted from running in and out of the house.”

“Dial said a firefighter was taken to the hospital with burns. In addition, a woman — the mother of one of the kids, who tried to help rescue those stuck inside — was reportedly injured.

Weitzel said the Upper Cumberland Foster Closet always tries to help community members in need, but after learning the family that had just lost everything was a foster family, it hit close to home.

“Complete devastation,” Weitzel said. “She’s been a foster mom for 35 years, and so I connected with her pretty well. She comes into the foster closet pretty regularly.”
Community, nonprofit rally after deadly fire at foster family’s home in Overton County
[WKRN 11/17/25 by Alexia Tsiropoulos]

“The names of the victims are not being released as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is working with firefighters to figure out how the deadly fire started.

Livingston Fire Chief Rocky Dial said the flames quickly spread across the entire house during the birthday celebration, which explained why so many people were stuck inside at the time.”

“Neighbors said the flames spread in just a couple of seconds, and the smoke became too much for people trying to get the children to safety. The fire took more than two hours for firefighters to get under control, leaving the house fully charred with major damage visible throughout the structure.”

““She takes care of kids not just that are in her home, but when they age out, she’s put homes on her property and teaches them how to live,” Weitzel said.”

“The house did have working smoke detectors, and he’s pushing families to remind their children what to do during an emergency.”

Two children killed in Tennessee house fire during birthday party
[WSMV 11/17/25 by Brendan Tierney]

“Another child [third]has died in a house fire in Overton County.”

“Rickman Volunteer Fire Department Chief Spencer Curd confirmed to WSMV4 that a toddler child was killed in a house fire off Rickman Monterey Highway at about 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday. The family clarified Wednesday that the boy was 2, after fire officials initially reported his age as 3.

Curd reported that crews were able to save the house, but smoke inhalation killed the child. The toddler’s mother and younger sibling were able to make it out and were hospitalized at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.”
Third child killed after second deadly Overton County house fire in less than five days
[WSMV 11/19/25 by Caleb Wethington and Chasity Maynard]

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