PITTS — Brothers T. J. Watson and Olen Watson perished in a fire at their Cemetery Rd. home near here Saturday night.

Pitts Volunteer Fire Chief Shawn Coker said his department got the call that there was a fire with possible entrapment about 10:22 p.m. Rochelle volunteer firefighters and the Crisp County Fire Department provided mutual aid.

Chiefs from all three departments said the home was fully engulfed in flames when their firefighters arrived on the scene. The 86 and 88 year old brothers were pulled from the fire, but Coker said they had already succumbed to the smoke and flames.

A state fire marshal is conducting an investigation in an attempt to determine the exact cause of death and the cause of the fire, Coker said.

Crisp Chief Ray Lunsford said one of his firemen, John Hauesler was the first to arrive at the scene. As he attempted to remove one of the victims from the blaze, Lunsford said Hauesler realized the gentleman was already dead.

Hauesler also said the fire was completely out of control when he arrived. In fact, he had been able to see flames from the county line. He suspected that the fire may have started in the back porch area, but that has not been confirmed.

Maranda Holliday, a neighbor of the Watson brothers for the past 21 years, said she is very saddened by the loss. “It’s really hard to look out my window and see the charred remains of the big white house that sat on a hill overlooking my house.

“This was the Watsons’ homeplace. Neither of them had ever married, and they always did things together. Their health was beginning to decline, but they were such sweet, good-hearted men. They would do anything to help you,” Ms. Holliday said.

She recalled asking them to accept a package delivery for her one day while she was at work. “Before I could get out of my car, T. J. was bringing my package to me.”

Ms. Holliday said she was enroute home from the Crisp County football game in Albany when the fire was discovered Saturday night. Her husband was home, but didn’t realize anything was wrong until he stepped out of the shower and saw flames coming from what appeared to be the entire house.

Neither did other neighbors see the fire until a passerby knocked on their door and told them about it.

Ms. Holliday said the Watson brothers both were retired from Robins Air Force Base and were active members of Union Baptist Church.

“I’ll never understand why this had to happen. Only the Lord knows,” she said.