Two sisters in their 70s were killed when they became trapped in their burning DeKalb County home late Christmas night, officials said.
Fire crews arriving at the home in the 2300 block of Woodcastle Lane around midnight Tuesday tried to make their way inside, but the flames were too great, DeKalb fire Battalion Chief Kenneth McKinney told Channel 2 Action News.
“They attempted to make an offensive entry into the house and got pushed back out due to heavy fire conditions inside the structure,” McKinney said from the scene. “We do have two confirmed fatalities at this location right now.”
The two bodies were found once firefighters knocked down the flames and were able to search the home, he said. They were identified by fire officials as sisters Ella Hicks, 75, and Katie Hicks, 71.
Neighbors told Channel 2 the sisters lived in that house for over 50 years.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire Wednesday afternoon.
“Our arson team is on location doing an investigation,” McKinney said.
Across metro Atlanta, crews have responded to multiple fires since Sunday.
A 19-year-old woman died at WellStar Cobb Hospital after being pulled from a burning home in the 1800 block of Gherry Drive near Austell early Sunday morning, officials said.
MORE: 19-year-old killed in early morning fire at Cobb County home
A Cherokee County family was not at home when a fire started in their kitchen on Christmas Eve, Channel 2 reported. The family was out doing last-minute Christmas shopping, but when they returned, they found their home outside of Ball Ground destroyed.
Three dogs were killed, the homeowner, Melinda Jordan, told the news station.
And another fire broke out just before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Sonoma Ridge apartment complex off I-85 and Pleasantdale Road in DeKalb County, displacing more than 30 people.
ALSO: DeKalb apartment fire displaces more than 30 residents
Channel 2 reported a Christmas tree sparked the blaze, but authorities have not confirmed that. They said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
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