Several fires in metro Atlanta and North Georgia in recent days have killed at least five people, injured others and displaced dozens as temperatures dipped unseasonably cold.
A blaze Saturday in College Park killed a woman, and a Snellville woman died in a house fire early Sunday, according to officials. Later that day, two children were killed in yet another deadly blaze, this time in a northeast Georgia mobile home, according to Union County officials. Then on Monday afternoon, a house fire near Stone Mountain left one man dead, investigators said.
“This is the season when we see the most fires,” DeKalb County Fire Capt. Jaeson Daniels told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The temperature at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport plummeted to a bitter 19 degrees early Monday, according to National Weather Service data. Temps at the airport were warmer Tuesday morning but still below freezing. A warmup is expected in North Georgia in the coming days.
While the recent fires remain under investigation, this time of year keeps firefighters busy because more people are home, and often cooking holiday meals, Daniels said. Additionally, the cold weather may lead some to use alternative heat sources. Plus, holiday decorations can be hazardous.
“Turning off the lights on the Christmas tree is paramount,” Daniels said. “Don’t leave the house and leave the holiday lights on.”
After multiple deadly fires in just three days, area firefighters weren’t done.
The string of destruction continued Tuesday, including in East Point, where investigators believe a blaze that burned three houses on Gus Thornhill Jr. Drive might have started in an abandoned home, officials said.
Safety experts routinely warn that problems with heating sources are a leading cause of cold-weather house fires. Proper heater installation and maintenance, as well as ensuring equipment is a safe distance from flammable material, reduces fire risk, according to the state’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire.
Here’s a look at some of the most significant recent fires:
DeKalb County
Flames burst through the roof of one of the buildings at the Midwood Gardens Apartment Homes, a gated community just south of Memorial Drive in the Pine Lake area, just before 10 a.m. Monday. No injuries were reported.
Daniels’ crews were called to the scene, where smoke billowed above the roof and was visible for miles. Five units were damaged by fire, smoke or water, he said. The exact number of displaced people was not available. The Red Cross was assisting affected families.
Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Monday, just before 1 p.m., a 21-year-old man was killed when fire engulfed a home on Rock Cliff Court near Stone Mountain, according to investigators. A neighbor told firefighters someone was still inside the burning home, Daniels said.
When firefighters made it into a second-floor bedroom, the man had already died. His name was not released Tuesday, pending notification of family members, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Gwinnett County
The night before, Gwinnett County firefighters were called to a blaze at the Las Palmas Apartments on Seasons Parkway. The complex is in the Gwinnett Place area.
When crews arrived around 10 p.m. Sunday, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the back of a three-story building, officials said.
Forty people were displaced. Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church was assisting emergency agencies with helping those residents.
No injuries were reported in that blaze, but six units were damaged. Four of them were deemed a total loss.
One of the occupants stated they heard a “pop” and went to investigate when they saw the fire, officials said. Smoke alarms were not active in the units.
Authorities said the fire originated in a second-floor unit at the back of the building. They have not disclosed the cause, which remains under investigation.
Credit: Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services
Credit: Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services
Earlier Sunday, a house fire killed a woman in her Snellville home, according to Gwinnett fire officials.
Crews responded at 1:04 a.m. to reports of a fire in the 3000 block of Jonathan Court. The 911 caller advised that the neighbor’s house was on fire, and his wife was still inside.
Attempts were made to go through the front door, but firefighters were forced out because of a partial collapse, according to investigators. After entering the rear of the home, firefighters found a woman’s body in a bathroom. Her name was not released.
The flames were extinguished at approximately 1:42 a.m., but the house was declared a total loss, the fire department said.
Union County
A fire killed two children — a 6-year-old girl and her 3-year-old brother — in Union County on Sunday, the fire department said. The family identified them as Ophelia and Dominick Spaulding.
Firefighters arrived shortly after 10 a.m. to find a home in the Warren Trailer Park fully engulfed and the roof collapsed, the fire department said.
The children’s father was seriously injured trying to save them, according to a GoFundMe page created to assist the family. Another child and the children’s mother sustained minor injuries.
Fulton County
On Saturday, two College Park women were caught in a burning home.
The blaze was reported around 2 p.m. in a two-story home on Lyle Avenue, just east of Washington Road. One woman died at the scene, and another was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, College Park fire officials told Channel 2 Action News.
Authorities have not released the name of the deceased or the condition of the injured woman.
And on Friday, a large fire engulfed a building at the Camelot Condominiums, a troubled South Fulton complex that’s been the scene of several fires over the years.
The condo fire sent two people to a hospital. They were said to be stable, according to city spokesperson Tori Cooper. At least 18 others were displaced.
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