2 die days after Gwinnett house fire

Two people pulled from a burning home near Lawrenceville have died, the Gwinnett County fire department said Wednesday.

Virginia McMurray, 83, and Steven Hurd, 56, were unresponsive when they were pulled last Thursday from the Lester Road home where they lived, according to Capt. Tommy Rutledge. A passerby called 911 and knocked on the door of the home after seeing flames coming from the home shortly before 4:30 a.m., Rutledge said.

Firefighters arrived to find the home well-involved in flames, which appeared to originate near the carport of the home, Rutledge said. McMurray and Hurd were rescued from the living room and transported to Gwinnett Medical Center. From there, the two were transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where both died over the weekend, Rutledge said.

The cause of death for McMurray and Hurd appears to be smoke inhalation, Rutledge said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.