A northwest Georgia man was at work when his mother, wife and three children were killed in a fire early Wednesday, according to a family friend.

Jake Sandifer and his family were renting a mobile home on Tree Top Lane in Cohutta, a friend posted on a GoFundMe page.

“Jake now has nowhere to lay his head, is looking at a substantial funeral cost, and has lost his family and any comforts that help get a person by from day to day,” the fundraising page states.

Investigators believe an electrical fire killed the five family members, officials said late Wednesday.

The Whitfield County Fire Department was called at 3:30 a.m. to the home near the Tennessee line. Nine fire trucks arrived at the scene to battle the blaze, which destroyed the home.

“On behalf of the Whitfield County Fire Department, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family who has experienced this unimaginable loss,” fire Chief Paul Patterson said. “We are fully committed to supporting the investigation into the cause of this fire.”

Those killed were: Brenda Sandifer, 74; Brittany Sandifer, 26; Joshua Sandifer, 5; Jacob Sandifer Jr., 4; and Legend Sandifer, 2.

“I want to personally thank you for helping your fellow man move forward from his complete loss to a road paved with human kindness,” Sherry Mangrum, who created the GoFundMe page, posted online.

Ponders Funeral Home in Dalton was handling arrangements.

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