Last Week’s Tullahoma Fire Claims Second Victim

A fire last week has claimed its second victim. Saniya Shanes, 14, was transported to Tennova Healthcare-Harton Hospital and then flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she died Thursday afternoon around 5 p.m.
The Tullahoma Fire Department answered a call to 409 Cumberland Avenue around 8:24 p.m. Tuesday night and observed smoke coming from the roof of the house. Firefighters quickly entered the house and found heavy smoke and charring of the inside.
Neighbors alerted firefighters that occupants of the house might be inside, which caused the fire crews to do an interior search of the house. After a brief search of the residence, two victims were removed from the house and medical care was initiated.
Crews from Coffee County Ambulance Service began CPR to Joy Martinez, 50, who was transported to Tennova Healthcare-Harton where she was pronounced dead when she arrived at the hospital.
The fire department requested the assistance from the State Fire Marshall’s Office to determine the cause of the blaze. According to investigators, the fire appeared to have started in the kitchen of the residence and spread. Investigators say that the fire was accidental.
An autopsy was performed on Martinez to determine the cause of death but investigators have not received the results. An autopsy will also be performed to determine the cause of death of Shanes.