5 victims in Duluth house fire identified

DULUTH, Ga. — The Gwinnett County medical examiner has released the names of five people killed in a house fire this weekend.

The victims, Kimberly Lewis, 45, David Waring, 45, Kelley Tomkinson, 47, Edward Brown, 21 and Danielle Waring, 19, died early Sunday morning when a fire tore through a house in the 2200 block of Post Oak Drive.

Firefighters said the flames were so intense that at first, they could fight the fire only from the outside. It took about 45 minutes of intense firefighting before crews could enter the home.

Family members said there was a gathering at the home Saturday night, and they used a fire pit on the back deck.

Investigators have not ruled out the fire pit as the cause of the fire.

“They had a bon fire outside and I believe they thought they had put the fire out,” said neighbor Jessica Fields.

Crews said part of the interior of the house collapsed.

Mike Gubitoso, who lived in the house for more than 7 years until 2011, stopped by to see what had become of his former home. The basketball goal he installed for his sons was one of the few things left untouched by the blaze.

“It was always in great shape. We never had an issue with anything in this house, structurally, electrically, anything,” Gubitoso said. “It was a real neat house to grow up in. The people were great.

“To look at it now,” he said, shaking his head.

Cox Media Group