One person was found dead early Wednesday morning after a fire razed a Lithonia home and damaged other houses near it.
The fire reduced the home on Berryside Drive to a charred shell, according to photos from the scene. The heat from the blaze threatened surrounding homes, according to DeKalb County fire department spokesman Capt. Jaeson Daniels.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Sherry Bell, who lives nearby, told Channel 2 Action News she called 911 after spotting the fire while taking out her trash.
“I saw a little light,” she said. “Well, I thought it was a light, but it had to be a flame.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
By the time Bell had walked from the end of her driveway back to her garage, a fire was consuming the house, she told Channel 2. Firefighters were confronted by an intense blaze when they arrived at the home about 5:20 a.m., Daniels said.
The flames were so hot that they melted the siding of other homes, according to photos. As many as four houses were left damaged by the fire, Channel 2 reported.
Initially, fire crews weren’t able to go into offensive mode because of the massive blaze. While crews struggled to gain control of the fire, the second story of the home collapsed inward, Daniels said.
When they were finally able to get the fire under control and enter the home, they found the remains of a person inside.
The victim has not been identified. No other injuries were reported, officials said.
Authorities have not determined where the fire began and are still investigating how it started. An investigation is ongoing.
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