Man dies after being trapped in burning home in Decatur
A man was killed Sunday afternoon after he became trapped inside a burning home in Decatur, officials said.
The fire broke out at a home on Knoll Drive shortly before 5 p.m., the DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department said in a statement. When crews arrived at the scene, they found heavy smoke and flames burning the back of the home.
Firefighters soon learned that the man was trapped inside the house, officials said. Authorities have not released his name or age.
“Crews had to quickly darken the flames from the outside of the home before making entry,” DeKalb fire said. “Unfortunately the elderly male was not able to survive due to the conditions inside the structure.”
The cause of the fire is not known. The incident is under investigation.
It was one of at least two fires the DeKalb department responded to Sunday. According to the American Red Cross of Georgia, 17 people from 10 families were displaced by a blaze at the Georgetown of Atlanta Condominiums off Colonial Way. Red Cross disaster volunteers are assisting the displaced families, spokeswoman Sherry Nicholson said.
About the Author
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
