A woman was found dead Monday morning after a fire ripped through and destroyed a Hall County apartment that was condemned just days before.
The woman’s belongings were spilling out of the apartment, which might have helped fuel the fire, Channel 2 Action News reported. A Bible, wrapping paper and a shoe were among the numerous items found near the front door of the Candler Street home.
The fire started about 4:30 a.m., authorities said. When responders arrived at the Candler Square Apartments, they noticed visible smoke and flames.
Authorities said the fire was so hot that it caused a sliding glass door at the apartment to shatter.
“As personnel were beginning to make their interior fire attack, the balcony sliding glass door burst,” Gainesville fire department spokesman Keith Smith told AJC.com.
He said it wasn’t clear to crews if anyone was inside the apartment.
The home was condemned and deemed unfit for human occupancy Thursday, Smith said.
Firefighters had to take the front door off its hinges to get inside. They then crawled over piles of personal items so high that their heads hit the ceiling, Channel 2 reported.
When firefighters searched inside the apartment, they found a woman in her 80s. She was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Her identity has not been released.
The causes of the fire and the woman’s death are still under investigation.
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