Only a small portion of a camper wall remained standing after it was destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning, Oct. 30. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

PACKERTON — The man who died in a fire shortly after midnight Tuesday in Packerton has been identified.

Brandon Blanton, 44, died in the blaze, according to Kosciusko County Coroner Tony Ciriello.

Blanton was inside a camper adjacent to a mobile home at 8031 S. Thomas Drive, just east of Packerton Road.

Ciriello said Blanton died from smoke inhalation.

The fire was discovered around midnight. Aside from the camper’s back wall that remained standing the day after, the camper was otherwise destroyed. A cause of the fire has not been determined.

Blanton’s mother, Sue Blanton, who lives in the adjacent trailer, said Wednesday that Brandon Blanton lived in the camper while his three children lived with her and her husband, Gene, in the mobile home.

Sue Blanton said her husband woke her up, yelling “fire.” They both went outside and saw the camper was on fire, but could not open the camper door. Gene was able to pry the door open with a screwdriver, but Sue said the heat and heavy smoke coming out the door prevented him from entering.

Sue Blanton said she believed the fire seemed to start up in the ceiling because there did not seem to be any fire on the ground level that she saw.

The fire remains under investigation.

Blanton leaves behind a wife, Angela Blanton of Packerton; three sons: Draven Blanton, Gaven Blanton and Evan Blanton of Packerton; step-daughter: Makaila Ousley of Claypool, according to the obituary at Titus Funeral Home.

He suffered from health issues in recent years, including a traffic accident a few years ago that left him on life support for a few days. He suffered a heart attack earlier this year, Sue said.

His 45th birthday would have been Saturday, Nov. 2.