Carrier Mills house fire claims one life

A Carrier Mills man was killed in an early morning house fire Thursday.

The victim was Ja Shawn Tate, 21, 508 E. Washington St., Carrier Mills, according to Felty Funeral Home Director Terry Felty. Assistant County Coroner Sean Watson was conducting a post-mortem examination late Thursday afternoon.

Carrier Mills firefighters responded to a report of a house fire at 200 Washington St. 12:02 a.m.

Carrier Mills Fire Chief Jerry Choat said he arrived at 12:06 a.m. and the house was fully involved in the fire.

Unidentified witnesses on the scene said that a 21-year-old man had entered the burning building to search for a child, but never came out. No one was seen exiting the fully involved burning building.

Tate's body was retrieved from the remains of the house after the fire was extinguished.

Fire departments from Harrisburg, Stonefort and New Burnside assisted the Carrier Mills Fire Department in fighting the house fire, Choat said.

The Saline County Coroner's Office is investigating.

Services for Tate are 1 p.m. Sunday at Felty Funeral Home. Visitation is after 11 a.m. Sunday and burial will be at Lakeview Cemetery.