BUFORD, Ga. – A mother of four who was separated from her family while quarantining because of a possible exposure to COVID-19 died Wednesday in an early morning house fire, according to WSB-TV.
Firefighters responded to a report of the blaze around 2:45 a.m. on the 100 block of Kennesaw Street NE, according to officials with Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services. A neighbor called 911 and reported that a woman was in the basement and they weren’t sure if she could get out.
Family members told WSB that the woman was quarantining in the home’s basement after her husband was hospitalized with COVID-19. They told the news site that a babysitter was able to get her four kids out of the home.
Authorities said the babysitter and children did not suffer any injuries.
Neighbor Ryan Stalcup told WSB that he tried to help the family after he heard children screaming.
“They just started yelling, ‘Somebody’s in there. Somebody’s in there,’” he told the news station. “I ran up to the house, but it was just too hot. There was too much smoke.”
By the time firefighters arrived, flames were shooting out of the home’s rear windows, officials said. Authorities tried to put down the fire from outside before entering through the house’s front door. While heading for the back of the house, where most of the flames were, firefighters were stopped when the floor collapsed into the basement, officials said.
“We requested additional support to come fight the fire while we put rescue operations into play,” Lt. Donald Strother told WSB. “Unfortunately, the fire had a significant head start. We were limited with how far we could get into the home.”
Instead, firefighters were forced to focus “exclusively on extinguishing the flames,” according to Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services. The agency said the construction of the house kept heat trapped inside, prompting officials to cut holes in the roof to reduce the threat of reignition.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, which officials said started in the basement. Officials noted that the fire investigator “cannot rule out multiple power sources.”
“This incident serves as a good reminder for families to establish good fire safety habits,” officials said in a news release.
“Firefighters encourage everyone to install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Pull together everyone in the household and make a plan. Walk through the home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of the home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Practice this escape plan at least twice a year.”
