3 hospitalized after Christmas Day house fire in DeKalb

A Christmas Day house fire in DeKalb County left three people hospitalized, authorities said.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

A Christmas Day house fire in DeKalb County left three people hospitalized, authorities said.

A Christmas Day house fire in DeKalb County left three people hospitalized, including a 97-year-old grandmother who suffered severe burns, authorities said.

Firefighters were dispatched to the home on Timor Trail in Stonecrest about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday, DeKalb fire spokesman Capt. Dion Bentley said.

It’s unclear what started the fire, but investigators believe it began in the home’s garage. The house was engulfed in flames by the time crews arrived and the fire was so hot that it melted the vinyl siding on the home next door, authorities said.

Hazel Talmadge, 97, suffered third-degree burns to her back, her relatives told Channel 2 Action News. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and was expected to undergo skin graft surgery on Friday.

Talmadge’s daughter suffered minor injuries in the fire, and her son-in-law was hospitalized with a head injury he sustained while trying to extinguish the blaze with a garden hose, the news station reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and anyone with information is asked to call DeKalb firefighters.

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Channel 2 Action News at 6:00 a.m.