An elderly man who reportedly suffered serious burns Monday in a fire at his Charleston home died about eight hours later at a Memphis hospital.
Tallahatchie County Coroner Ginger Meriwether said Charles Smith was pronounced dead at 10:25 a.m. at Regional One Health, formerly The Med.
According to the radio log at the county dispatcher’s office in Charleston, a 2:07 a.m. call reported the house fire at 610 Vine St.
Charleston Fire Chief Kevin Hodges said the structure was “fully involved” when firefighters arrived.
“He was alone in the house and was able to get out on his own, but he was burned pretty bad,” Hodges said of Smith, 72, who was airlifted to Memphis.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, noted the chief, who said an investigator with the state fire marshal’s office was on the scene Tuesday.
“Hopefully, the fire marshal will be able to give us some insight,” he added.
Meriwether said Smith's body was sent to the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory in Pearl for an autopsy.
