Investigators are trying to determine if a space heater caused an apartment fire in southwest Atlanta that killed a 64-year-old man, injured another person and displaced 31 residents, officials said.
The blaze was reported just after 4 a.m. Wednesday at Venetian Hills Apartments in the 1800 block of Campbellton Road, Atlanta fire Sgt. Cortez Stafford said.
“Units got on scene and discovered a pretty hectic situation,” he said. “We had people outside. We had people evacuating the building.”
Resident Fredricka Hogan told Channel 2 Action News she woke up to flashing lights and was able to escape with only the clothes on her back and a blanket.
Stafford said heavy fire in one unit quickly spread to others.
Some residents jumped from windows to escape the blaze and hurried to grab personal items.
Others told firefighters there were people who were trapped, Stafford said.
Atlanta fire issued a second alarm to get another crew on the scene.
The victim, whose name has not been released, was found in an upstairs bedroom. His roommates escaped without injury but could not save him, Stafford said.
Another person fell trying to escape the complex and suffered a leg injury.
Fire officials reached out to different agencies, including Atlanta police, to help determine the cause of the fire. Police dogs were used in the search for evidence, Stafford said.
The blaze damaged or destroyed 20 units, American Red Cross spokeswoman Divina Mims Puckett said. The Red Cross worked to find shelter for the displaced residents.
Children were among the displaced, Stafford said.
While the Red Cross helped them find a place to stay, MARTA assisted by getting affected residents out of the cold, Channel 2 reported. At the time of the fire, temperatures were in the 20s in Atlanta.
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