Jackson firefighter loses brother, in-law to house fire

Members of the Jackson Fire Department are grieving as one for a fellow firefighter who lost two family members in a Jackson house fire Friday morning.

Hinds County Coroner Sharon-Grisham Stewart identified the victims as Robert Wilkinson, 72, and his wife Jennet Wilkerson, 65.

Although he declined to provide the deceased's names ahead of a report from the medical examiner, Cleotha Sanders, a division fire chief with the office of fire investigations, confirmed the elderly couple were relatives of Joseph Sharber.

Sharber, who has been with the department for 17 years, told multiple media outlets at the scene that Robert was his older brother and that Jennet was his sister-in-law.

Sanders, division fire chief with the department, says crews received a call shortly before 4 a.m to the 4600 block of Kirkley Drive.

After knocking down the fire, the team entered the structure where the bodies of the Wilkinsons were found. Both were pronounced dead the scene.

 "The Jackson Fire Department is a tight knight family and our love and  support is with the family at this time," said Jackson Fire Chief R.D. Simpson in a statement. "We will keep our brother firefighter and his entire family lifted up in prayer.

At this time the cause of the fire is not known.

Contact Bracey Harris at bharris2@gannett.com or (601) 961-7248. Follow @braceyharris on Twitter.