Neighbors, firefighters regret not being able to save 6-year-old in Edgecombe house fire

Kayden Battle was trapped in a downstairs room near the area where the fire began late Thursday.

Pinetops Fire Chief Steve Burress said the house already was engulfed in flames when he arrived.

"[It was] total fire from the roof down," Burress said. "[It was] a good 20 to 30 minutes before we were able to actually get inside."

Neighbors who called 911 told authorities a child was likely inside the home, he said.

"You wish you could go right in, and sometimes you can. But when you’ve got a situation like this one was, you’ve got to be able to do something that’s safe for your people as much as you possibly can," he said. "Sad to say, if you’ve already lost one life – and you know there’s no question, no question whatsoever – you can’t risk other lives until you can make sure that things are as safe as possible."

Nancy Ramirez, one of those who called 911, said she could only watch as the family begged firefighters to go in after Kayden.

“The grandmother wanted to run in, and it took both of my boys to hold her back because she was literally charging into the house,” Ramirez said. “They definitely wanted to go inside and take him out, but obviously, when I saw that the electrical wires were popping, I didn’t let my kids get near the house.”

"It’s just really sad. You feel helpless, you can’t do anything," she added.

“It’s hard enough when it’s an adult, but when you’re dealing with a child, it’s just hard to describe,” Burress said. “Just pray for the family that lost a 6-year-old little boy.”