Children killed in Clarksville fire identified

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Two children died in an early morning fire in Clarksville and a third was flown to a Nashville hospital in critical condition.

Clarksville Fire Marshall Ray Williams said Travis Howard Jr., 9, and Ann Howard, 11, died in the early morning blaze at 456 Shelby St.

A 14-year-old family member, Joshua Phillips, was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in critical condition because of smoke inhalation.

The three are the children of Travis Howard, 37, and Robin Howard, 39, who were renting the home, Williams said.

At about 4:15 a.m, Clarksville firefighters, police and Montgomery County EMS were called to the house. When they arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the 65-year-old house.

The parents of the three children and an 18-year-old visitor, Robert Hampton, a friend of Phillips, made it out of the small home, but Ann Howard was found dead in her bedroom, still in bed, Williams said. Travis Howard Jr. was pulled from the home but did not survive.

Williams said Travis Howard Jr. and Ann Howard likely died of smoke inhalation.

Because the fire was fatal, Clarksville Police Department's Special Operations Unit and a Tennessee Bomb and Arson team were called in to help with the investigation.

Williams said investigators suspect the blaze may have been caused because too many plug adapters and extension cords were plugged into old, overloaded outlets near the source of the fire. They had also not ruled out the possibility it was caused by smoking because the father is a smoker and smoking materials were also found.

A specially trained dog did not find any signs of accelerants, Williams said. The 750-square-foot house, at the end of a dead-end street, was destroyed.

Ann Howard was sleeping in a front bedroom, and the two boys and Hampton were sleeping in a back bedroom when the fire started. The parents slept on a futon in the living room. Williams said the fire appeared to have started in the living room at the front of the home.

Williams said Phillips was alert and talking to hospital officials, but was still in critical condition. His injuries were caused by smoke inhalation.

It is also likely the family did not have working smoke detectors, he said.

"A family needs to make sure they have working smoke alarms," he said. "That appears to be a factor. One person did not wake up at all."

This story will be updated as information becomes available.

Stephanie Ingersoll

The Leaf Chronicle

245-0267

Breaking news reporter

Twitter: @Steph Leaf