Man and female foot amputee found dead in DeKalb house fire

One of the victims was found dead in the basement and another by the basement door, Morrison said.

Alex Walker, a resident in the home about 10 years, said he was sleeping when he heard a neighbor knock on another neighbor’s door yelling about the fire.

“At that point in time, I got up and helped everybody else, the rest of the neighbors, get on out the apartment,” Walker said.

He had known the woman who died in the fire since he’s lived there. She was diabetic and had recently had a foot amputated, Walker said.

American Red Cross of Georgia spokesman Sherry Nicholson said 10 other residents were displaced and the Red Cross was helping them find lodging, food and clothing.

The home, about 2,000 square feet, had been converted into an apartment with six units.

Frank Summerour, the property’s landlord, said he and wife Barbara Summerour have been renting the house out following the death of the his dad, the owner, about 1 year ago.

“I was actually raised in the house,” Summerour said.

He got a call at about 1:30 a.m. that the house was on fire.

“This is very shocking,” Frank Summerour said.

When fire crews arrived on the scene, residents next door told them people were possibly trapped inside the home, Morrison said.

“So they immediately went inside with the hose line to keep the fire at bay to go ahead and make the rescues,” Morrison said.

It took crews about seven minutes to pull out both victims.

“Unfortunately, they were deceased when we pulled them out,” Morrison said.

The fire is under investigation, but the chief said nothing seemed unusual.

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