15-year-old killed, campers destroyed, in fire

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    Bryson City, NC (WHNS) — Deputies with the Swain County Sheriff’s Office are investigating after a fire turned fatal overnight in the Ela Campground.

Deputies say around 11 p.m. Sunday night, a fire was reported in a camper that quickly spread to nine different units. We’re told by the sheriff’s office that seven of those units were completely destroyed and that a 15-year-old boy lost his life.

Detectives with the sheriff’s office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are still on scene conducting an investigation.

The teen, identified as Blake Lantz, will be sent to Chapel Hill for an autopsy.

Deputies say his brother was also injured as he escaped the fire, but is expected to fully recover from his injuries.

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