A house fire in Newnan, Georgia, early Monday morning killed six people and wounded five more. Among the victims were three children.
Authorities are investigating the devastating fire in Coweta County, located around 40 miles southwest of Atlanta, to find its root cause.
When the Coweta County fire department arrived at the scene just before 5 a.m. on Monday, more than half of the house was engulfed in flames. A transcript from the fire department detailed reports of explosions and cries for help from within the house.
According to a statement from county officials, all eleven individuals in the house had been located and identified by 5:16 a.m.
There were three fatalities among boys aged 6, 12, and 13. According to county officials, three further individuals passed away: a lady aged 36, a woman aged 74, and a male aged 74.
Their names have not been released. Fire Chief Robby Flanagan said that the six victims are all members of the same family and range in age from six to seventy.
In a statement released on Monday afternoon, the family expressed gratitude to the public for the outpouring of love and prayer.
They expressed that they are completely overwhelmed and do not know how to begin the rebuilding process. They are requesting prayers and privacy as they deal with the unfathomable catastrophe.
The five surviving victims were transported to Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital in a state of intense pain. The authorities withheld their identities, ages, and condition updates.
The county sheriff’s office is conducting the investigation, the fire department, and the state and county fire marshals.
The fire department revealed that one fireman had “minor injuries” as well. The severity of the injury sustained was not disclosed.
Neighbors have been working away in the scorching heat to collect clothing and supplies for the families that were able to escape the fire. Members of the community slowed down their vehicles, with some pausing to survey the scene ahead. They were situated on a tiny hill with an open field behind it.
The residence had been entirely leveled.
