Authorities have determined the lone victim in the Old Dent’s Undertaking Establishment fire Saturday is a former Augusta fireman.
Goseboro Bytins “G.B.” Hannan, 71, was identified by his fingerprints after being found inside the former funeral home, 930 D’Antignac St., after a massive fire there Saturday, according to a release from the Augusta, Georgia FIRE/EMA. Hannan worked for the Augusta Fire Department for more than 25 years.
“I want to send our condolences to G.B.’s family,” Fire Chief/EMA Director Christopher E. James said in a release. “We, as a department, understand G.B. was going through a very difficult time, but the loss of a firefighter still resonates throughout the department. There are still firefighters who worked with, and fondly remember, G.B.”
Hannan started his fire career in 1979, rising to lieutenant. He eventually served as a fire investigator and got promoted to interim fire marshal, serving in that role from 2005 to 2008, when he was released from the department.
The department is working with Hannan’s family to assist with his pending funeral arrangements.
The Old Dent’s building was destroyed by the fire, which took the department more than four hours to extinguish during the weekend. Hannan’s body, which was burned beyond recognition, was uncovered when the Augusta Fire Department was conducting a routine investigation of the blaze. Fire crews were able to rescue a dog in the fire, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
Augusta Fire crews cleared the building and knocked down the brick walls Tuesday to reduce the hazard risk. The building once housed Dent's Undertaking Establishment, one of the first black-owned funeral homes in Augusta. It had not been in operation for more than 10 years, but it still stood as one of Augusta’s significant historical sites.
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