Local

91-year-old woman dies in raging house fire; blind grandson escapes

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — A community is in mourning after a house fire left an elderly woman dead and her grandson with injuries in Coweta County.

The fire started around 3:30 a.m. at the home on 2418 Highway 29 North in Newnan.

Ellinor Madrak, 91, couldn’t escape the flames but her 51-year-old grandson, who is legally blind, did but with minor injuries.

The fire destroyed the home.

William Scott told Channel 2's Dave Huddleston it was his son who was inside the house and tried to get his grandmother out safely.

"He made it back, woke her up and was trying to call 911 and he finally told her, ‘grandma come on we gotta get out,’" Scott said.

He said his son was leading his grandmother out of the house.

"He had her by the hand and somewhere along the way, he had to feel his way, she evidentially decide to go to the sink, he thought he heard water running,” Scott said.

Scott said his son thought he heard the sliding glass door open, so he thought she got out, but couldn't find her. Scott said that's when he and rescue crews arrived on the scene.

TRENDING STORIES:

"We asked if they found her and they said no, and a little bit later about five minutes later they said they found her body by the side door steps,” Scott said.

Scott said his son is taking the loss hard.

"He's shook up, but he wasn't hurt or anything,” Scott said.

Firefighters returned to the scene Friday afternoon to put out hot spots.

“A fire investigator with my office has determined that this fire started in the attic of the home and was caused by an electrical malfunction,” Commissioner Hudgens said.

Scott said his mother also used a space heater

"She had a little electric heater in the bathroom, she wanted to keep that on, we'd unplug it and she would plug it right back up,” Scott said.

This death is the 91st residential housing fatality in Georgia for 2017.