A mother and her infant daughter died in a house fire in South Fulton early Wednesday morning, officials said.
South Fulton firefighters were called to a home on Connell Road just after midnight, Assistant Fire Chief Glenn Washington told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. About half of the split-level home was already engulfed in flames when crews arrived, he said.
Due to the intensity of the blaze, firefighters initially took a defensive approach, Washington said. Two people had escaped the burning home, but firefighters were not able to find the other residents on their primary search. They discovered the bodies of the woman and her baby while conducting a secondary search, Washington said.
The victims were identified by family as 28-year-old Lou’janee Wilson and her daughter, Ma’cyaah Johnson, Channel 2 Action News reported.
“It was really one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen,” neighbor Karen Norris told the news station. “It was blazing hot. ... It is one of the most tragic things that could happen in this community.”
The victims’ cause of death has not officially been determined, but Washington said the pair likely died as a result of smoke inhalation. Authorities have not said what caused the fire.
Washington said no injuries were reported among the fire crew or the home’s other residents.
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