Staff Photo by Amanda Lowrance

An early morning fire north of Finger last Saturday claimed the lives of two McNairy County residents including a young girl who was at the Masseyville McNairy Road residence for a sleep over. 

Smoke detectors woke residents of the home and Michael Steve Kennedy ushered his family from the burning structure. Officials have stated that once outside the home, Kennedy realized that family friend 11-year-old Cheyenne A. Henderson of Stantonville had not made it out and Kennedy went back inside the burning home to rescue the young girl shortly before emergency workers arrived on the scene at 3:51 a.m.

Despite Kennedy’s heroic effort both he and Henderson succumbed to the smoke and perished from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of the fire, said Robert Hitchborn, McNairy County Sheriff’s Department investigator.