Local
Woman in her late 90s dies in Collier Heights house fire after floor collapses
Atlanta firefighters found the body of a wheelchair-bound woman in her late 90s on the lower level of a two-story home on Larchmont Circle after a Tuesday morning fire caused the second floor to collapse. The cause remains under investigation, with officials citing gas-fed flames and difficult topography.
ATLANTA â A woman in her late 90s who used a wheelchair was found dead Tuesday morning after a fire tore through a two-story home in the Collier Heights neighborhood, causing the second floor to collapse, Atlanta Fire Rescue officials said.
Crews were called to the house on Larchmont Circle just after 5:30 a.m. A neighbor living behind the home told firefighters that a wheelchair-bound woman was inside, according to Chief Andrew Anderson. Firefighters later located the woman's body on the lower level of the home.
Anderson said crews faced multiple obstacles in battling the blaze, including downed power lines and the structural failure of the second floor. He said the fire appeared to have started on the first floor.
"We have a lot of critical factors here, possibly gas-fed, the construction of the house making this very difficult, the topography," Anderson said. "So we'll be leaving that to an arson investigation."
The chief did not release the woman's name pending notification of family. The arson unit is investigating the cause and origin of the fire.
Collier Heights, a historically Black neighborhood in southwest Atlanta, has seen growing concern in recent years over emergency response times and housing safety for older residents. Tuesday's death adds to a grim tally of fire fatalities involving seniors living alone or with limited mobility.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact Atlanta Fire Rescue's arson investigation unit.