By Scott Harvey
Paris – Five people are dead following a Monday morning fire in Paris that swept through a men's homeless shelter.
At approximately 2:49 a.m. Monday, units of the Paris Fire Department, Police Department, and EMS responded to a structure fire at Christians in Action, located at 410 Clarksville Street. The fire was primarily located in the southwestern part of the masonry building.
According to a statement released by the Paris Fire Department, an offensive attack was initially deployed, but the deteriorating building conditions and intense heat forced attack crews out. Fire units then set up a defensive attack supporting the fire wall between the building halves and attacking the fire. In approximately three hours, the fire was brought under control. At such time, firefighters conducted an interior search and located the five victims in an upstairs area.
The release of the names of the deceased is pending positive ID of the victims and the notification of their next of kin. All five bodies have been sent to Dallas for autopsies and positive identification. The incident is currently under investigation and no cause for the fire has yet been determined.