Woman dies after fire rips through town home; 2 others escape

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — GBI crime scene specialists are aiding with the investigation into a deadly town home fire in Gwinnett County.

Channel 2's Audrey Washington  learned that a woman died hours after a fire ripped through a town home on the 900 block of Summer Place NW in Norcross.

Crews were called to the home before 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Two survivors who made it out of the fire alive said they heard desperate yells that woke them up.

Rodrick Dunn, a neighbor, said the yells caused him to jump out of bed and go check on his next-door neighbors.

"Uh, I woke up and heard someone yelling," Dunn said. "That's when I started seeing flickering in the back window and that's when I came outside and I saw the son and the mother standing outside."

Gwinnett County firefighters were able to knock down the flames in about a half-hour.

According to fire officials, while battling the fire, they found a woman lying unconscious upstairs and rushed her to the hospital.

“They found a victim on the second floor. She was brought of the town home unit, and taken in critical condition, life-threatening condition to Gwinnett Medical Center,” said Gwinnett County Fire Department spokesperson Tommy Rutledge. "I don't know how long she was in there."

TRENDING STORIES:

The woman, who neighbors said was the girlfriend of the adult son, died at the hospital.

Rutledge said the GBI's involvement is typical in a case like this.

"Investigators from the GBI are working with police and fire on the scene," Rutledge said. "They're going to be canvassing the neighborhood to talk with anyone who might of seen or heard something or know anything."

Neighbors remain shocked that something so tragic happened so close to home.

"It's sad, it's sad when anyone loses their life this way," Dunn said.

Authorities said the caller to 911 reported something in the kitchen on fire, but the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Cox Media Group