71-year-old woman killed in southwest Atlanta house fire

ATLANTA — Atlanta fire investigators said a 71-year-old woman died in an early Sunday morning house fire in southwest Atlanta.

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Fire crews were called to the home on the 2800 block of Waters Road around 5 a.m. to try and put out the flames.

They say five people in the home were able to get out, but 71-year old Gloria Mayes did not make it.

“They arrived had heavy flames on left side of house and had reports of entrapment,” said Atlanta Firefighter Don Cole.

Investigators determined the fire was started by a misplaced cigarette.

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Channel 2′s Lauren Adams spoke to Mayes’s son. He said he woke up Sunday morning to texts his mom had died in the fire.

“It’s a horrible way to get woken up, horrible,” said Paxton Mayes.

Mayes immediately rushed over to the house. He went with firefighters to his mom’s bedroom in the back of the house. He says everything was burned. He said knowing his mother was trapped in a hospital bed will haunt him the rest of his life.

“I can’t even lie. I’m going to have to live with that everyday. Everyday,” said Mayes.

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Mayes says him mom was a phenomenal lady who raised him well. He says those are the memories that will keep him going.

“She always had that thing she said. She’d say “Pax how are the babies? How’s the family?”