Seven members of a Chamblee family were inside their home Sunday night when a fire ignited, trapping two people inside.
Firefighters pulled the two from the burning home on London Road, but one person, who was disabled, later died at a hospital, according to authorities. The victim’s name was not released, but city of Chamblee officials described the family as consisting of an adoptive father and multiple children with disabilities.
The home was fully engulfed in flames when DeKalb County fire crews responded shortly after 10 p.m. Five people were able to escape, and firefighters turned their attention to those still inside, fire Capt. Jaeson Daniels said.
“One of those victims, unfortunately, was in cardiac arrest upon leaving the scene,” Daniels told reporters.
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Four people were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, including the father.
Sarah Sargent, who identified herself as part of the family in a GoFundMe campaign, said her father is in critical condition after going back into the fire in an attempt to save his children.
Sargent said one of her adult sisters also incurred burns while attempting to save her siblings. The family suffered a “tremendous tragedy,” she said.
“She alerted our father, called 911 and carried our siblings to safety without regard for her own safety,” Sargent said, adding that three siblings remain hospitalized.
As the sun came up Monday, neighbors in the Sexton Woods community went to take a look at the fire-burned home. Only its garage and charred facade appeared to still be standing. The roof had caved in on part of the house, and all of the outdoor furniture had been burned or melted.
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Randy Reusche, who said he has known the family for a long time, wanted to survey the damage for himself after seeing the fire on the morning news. He did not know who was home when it started, but he said the mother, a DeKalb school nurse, is away in Florida.
One biological son is paralyzed and has been bedridden for more than two decades, Reusche said. The family had also adopted two sets of siblings over the years.
“I hope the community steps up to help them out, they could use it,” he said. “They have always needed some help. We’ve done what we could before, and we’ll do it again.”
Volunteers with the Red Cross were also helping the family with emergency needs. Among the items most needed are specialty medical supplies, according to Sargent.
“The house is a total loss,” she said on the fundraising page. “All of the speciality medical equipment is destroyed. Our family will need housing, medical supplies, living expenses and much over the next stage of our life.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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