Palatka house fire leaves three dead, officials say | Palatka Daily News, Palatka, Florida

Officials investigate a house fire in Palatka Monday morning.

By Sarah Cavacini and Brandon D. Oliver

The structure fire that claimed the lives of three adults appears to have been accidental, a Palatka Police Department official said about 12 hours after the blaze occurred.

Capt. Matt Newcomb said emergency responders received a call around 5:40 a.m. Monday about a structure fire at 1019 Washington St.

When the police and firefighters arrived, Newcomb said, they could clearly see the house in flames. He said the fire made it impossible for emergency responders to enter safely right away, but once they could, emergency officials discovered three people dead inside the house.

“The deceased have been identified, and we are in the process of reaching out to the next of kin,” Newcomb said Monday morning.

At about 5:30 p.m. Monday, Newcomb confirmed the deaths of Melvin Shorter, an adult male from Palatka; Jessie Sessions, a 39-year-old man from Palatka; and Amanda Wynkoop, a 19-year-old woman from Jacksonville.

Newcomb said police officials didn’t have Shorter’s age, but a witness listed his age as 62.

Police tape is wrapped around the home at 1019 Washington St. in Palatka on Monday following a structure fire that killed three people.

Officials from the District 23 Medical Examiner’s Office, which covers Putnam, Flagler and St. Johns counties, and the state Fire Marshal’s Office were on the scene with the local police officers to work the scene, according to Newcomb.

“This is very heartbreaking,” he said. “It was heartbreaking for everyone working it. It’s heartbreaking for the families.”

While the Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the case, Newcomb said arson does not appear to have been a factor.

The three victims did not officially live in the building, he said, and something inside the structure seems to have caused the fire.

“The state Fire Marshal is investigating,” Newcomb said Monday afternoon. “At this time, it appears to be accidental. The situation we had with this (case) was that it was a vacant structure. They were squatting.”

Newcomb said Monday’s fire should be a reminder to everyone to ensure they have working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers inside their homes and businesses.

Two mourners tie balloons to a memorial on the gate at 1019 Washington St. in Palatka on Monday, the same day a structure fire caused the deaths of three adults.