Disasters · Senior living fireClinton Mississippi fire: Two residents killed, survivors displaced from BrookdaleAired October 22, 2026 at 7:11 PM UTCWritten October 22, 2026 at 7:15 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07A fire killed two residents and forced survivors out of their senior living0:10community.0:11The building in Clinton, Mississippi won't be livable for a while.0:14The fire chief says residents who relied on assisted living and memory care now need0:18somewhere else to live.0:20How will their care continue while investigators work out what caused the fire?0:23The fire broke out around 5 Wednesday afternoon, October 21st, at Brookdale Clinton0:28in Hines County.0:29The community is at 501 East Northside Drive.0:32Before the fire, it provided assisted living and memory care.0:35The residents who died were an 82-year-old man and an 81-year-old woman.0:40Heinz County coroner Jeremiah Howard confirmed their deaths.0:44Fire Chief Levius Buckley said four people were hospitalized with injuries that0:47initially appeared non-life-threatening.0:49We don't know how those four patients are doing now.0:51The deaths and hospitalizations reversed the early indication that nobody had been0:55hurt.0:56Brookdale says it's heartbroken by the loss of two residents and offered its deepest1:00sympathies to their families and loved ones.1:02Buckley put the evacuation count at 85 residents.1:05A separate count put it at more than 100.1:08The difference hasn't been explained.1:09We don't know whether the counts cover different groups or stages of the evacuation.1:13The Chiefs 85 is the figure tied directly to an official.1:17The evacuation and casualty numbers can't be added into a total population because1:21we don't know how those groups overlap.1:23Residents were bussed to Morrison Heights Baptist Church in Clinton, where families1:27reunited with them.1:28The church provided an immediate destination after the evacuation.1:32Brookdale's residents also need their assisted living and memory care support to1:36continue while they're displaced.1:37Some residents were rescued through windows.1:39The Jackson Fire Department and Heinz County Volunteer Fire Department helped fight1:44the fire.1:45Retired Clinton firefighters also joined the effort to put it out.1:48State health and emergency management agencies also joined the response.1:52Governor Tate Reeves said the Mississippi State Department of Health and the1:55Mississippi Emergency Management Agency were assisting and thanked first responders2:00for helping people in need.2:01Buckley estimated that the fire affected about 45% of the facility across several2:06wings.2:07He also described two wings as a total loss.2:09Those are his emergency assessments of the damage.2:12A final structural assessment hasn't been announced.2:14Investigators are still working to determine the cause.2:17Early on, officials said they didn't believe the fire was arson.2:20They haven't reached a final conclusion about what started it.2:23Buckley rejected a rumor that the facility's sprinklers weren't working, calling it2:28not factual.2:28His rebuttal leaves the detailed account of how the sprinkler system operated to the2:32investigation.2:33Investigators haven't identified an ignition source.2:36For displaced residents, a safe return still has no date.2:39A detailed longer-term housing and continuing care plan hasn't been made public.2:43Their immediate evacuation took them to a church, while the building they called2:47home remains uninhabitable.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗