A portion of a front brick wall was all that remained of a single-story East Point home Tuesday afternoon. But somewhere within the burned rubble, investigators were told, were two victims who had been unable to escape.
Nearly 12 hours after fire ripped through the Hogan Road home, investigators located one victim with the help of machinery used to sift through debris. The search continued Tuesday afternoon for two others, according to East Point’s interim fire Chief William Ware. Tuesday evening, that search and recovery operation ended.
Shortly before noon, an excavator was beginning to remove the collapsed roof on the home, located in the 2900 block of Hogan Road. The machinery stopped after a body, believed to be that of a woman, was located, Ware said.
The fire caused the roof of the home to partially collapse to the main floor, Ware said. And much of the main floor of the home collapsed into the basement, he said. It was impossible for investigators to know whether the woman had been on the main floor of the home or in basement.
“The fire pretty much consumed the inside of the structure,” Ware said.
The cause of the fire, which started in the home about 10 minutes after midnight, had not been determined Tuesday afternoon, East Point fire spokeswoman Renita Shelton said. Neighbor Ellious Andrews told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he got a phone call from another neighbor telling him about the blaze, and he could see the flames high in the air. Andrews didn’t know those in the home well, but hoped everyone had made it out. He later learned only some of those in the home made it out alive.
Firefighters arrived on the scene at 12:18 a.m. and found heavy fire and smoke coming from the front and side of the house. They began a defensive attack, deploying hand lines to the outside of the structure to battle the flames, but were unable to enter the home, Shelton said.
Two residents, including a man and a woman, were able to escape.
“He got out through a window,” Andrews said.
The two that escaped the home, whose names were not released, told investigators at least two people, and most likely a third, were also inside. Investigators had not determined Tuesday afternoon whether some of those living in the home were renting rooms.
It took about three hours overnight for firefighters to contain the blaze. Firefighters continued to battle hot spots at 6 a.m. The roof and floor in the home collapsed, making it dangerous for firefighters to enter.
Crews were expected to remain at the scene throughout the afternoon. Ware called the search for additional victims a delicate operation due to the use of machinery.
“I’m hoping for the best,” Ware said. “I’m hoping we’ve found the only victim. But unfortunately, we’ve been forewarned of other victims.”
The cause of the blaze was not known Tuesday afternoon. Preliminary findings indicated the fire was accidental, Ware said.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office was assisting with the investigation Tuesday afternoon. A portion of Hogan Road was blocked during the investigation.
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