Two residents died after a fire Wednesday at Brookdale Senior Living, an assisted living facility on East Northside Drive in Clinton, Mississippi, local outlets reported^1,2.

Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard identified the dead as Harris Anthony, 82, and Sandra Laird, 81, both from Vicksburg, WLBT and Vicksburg Daily News reported^2,3. WAPT also named Anthony and Laird¹.

Clinton Fire Chief Levius Buckley said the fire broke out just after 5 p.m. Wednesday and that it took three hours to get under control, with hotspots not cleared until about 3 a.m. Thursday¹. Firefighters from Clinton, Jackson and Hinds County responded, WAPT said¹.

At a Thursday briefing, Buckley said the fire department evacuated 85 residents and assisted with about 15 more². He said the fire affected several wings, about 45 percent of the facility, and that the building would not be livable for a while^2,3.

Buckley said four people were taken by ambulance to a hospital^1,2. WLBT reported he believed those injuries were not life-threatening². WAPT said he did not know the extent of their injuries and that firefighters rescued one man from a second-floor window¹.

Brookdale Clinton officials said in a statement they were heartbroken by the loss of two residents and that supporting those affected remained the priority, WLBT reported². Mayor Will Purdie said community help, including school buses used to relocate residents, prevented a worse outcome². Some residents were taken to Morrison Heights Baptist Church, WAPT said¹.

Buckley said a rumor that sprinklers were not working was not factual, according to WLBT². The cause remained under investigation, led by the Mississippi Fire Marshal's Office with local assistance^1,2,3.