Tuesday, July 13, 2010 MORRISTOWN, Tenn. (WVLT) -- A Morristown man burned earlier this week in a house fire has died from his injuries. Donnie Stepp, 56, died at Vanderbilt Burn Center this morning.

For the first time, rescuers are releasing the tape where he made his final call for help.


It's difficult to hear the struggle Donnie Stepp faced, knowing he couldn't get out in time.

Stepp lived alone in this rented Spout Springs Road home. He awoke in the middle of the night Tuesday to find that home consumed with flames.

He called 9-1-1. Dispatcher said, "Morristown Hamblen County 9-1-1. What's your emergency?" Donnie Stepp said, "Yeah, my house is, I just woke up. My house is on fire and I can't hardly breathe."

Smoke billowed in from the living room. "I can't get out the door," said Stepp. Dispatcher said, "I've got them on the way. What room are you in?" Donnie Stepp said, "I'm in the bedroom, and I can't get out. The smoke is killing me."

When rescuers arrived and pulled Stepp from the home, he was unresponsive. He was taken by Lifestar to UT Medical Center, and then transferred to Vanderbilt. He died Thursday from his injuries.

"He couldn't get through. He tried to break the window out, and he couldn't get out the window," said Roy Young. Young lives nearby, and heard the sirens from his porch.

"Bunch of sirens, and I guess 8 or 10 firetrucks," he said. "I could see the smoke. Quite a bit of smoke."

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, while the Morristown community remembers a good man.

"He lived there by himself, but his kids come around a lot I think it was," said Young. "I've seen him down there mowing the yard and stuff. But I never did get acquainted with him. He's a good neighbor and everything. Didn't bother nothing, nothing like that."

His landlord, Terry, told Volunteer TV he'd known Stepp for years, but Stepp had only lived in the home for three months. Neighbors say they can't believe the fire claimed his life.

"It's the first time anything like this ever happened in this neighborhood," said Young. "It was sad, I hate it."