DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A house fire claimed the lives of four people in DeKalb County overnight. Three of the victims died trapped inside the house and the fourth victim died at the hospital.
The fire happened just before midnight late Wednesday at 1881 Winthrop Drive. A Channel 2 Action News photojournalist arrived at the scene and saw a heavy amount of smoke coming from the house.
The firefighters stayed on the scene for hours as we reported live during Channel 2 Action News This Morning starting at 4:30 a.m.
Interim Fire Chief Melvin Carter said the victims were one woman and three men and all from the same family.
DeKalb County investigators identified the victims as Joseph Thomas, 43, Maryann Chambers, 73, John Chambers, 70 and Willie Smith, 70.
Other family members came to the house and consoled one another as they watched firefighters put out the fire.
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Deadly house fires can also take a toll on the firefighters battling them.
“When we have calls such as this, we lean on our assistance team and we have a peer support team that we call out as well. They come out and check on our guys and make sure they are OK mentally,” Carter said.
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