Steve Nichols of Jackson County EMS says shortly after 5:00 p.m., units from several fire departments responded to a strip shopping center at 1860 North Broad Street.
Nichols say the first units saw heavy smoke and flames coming from one of the units in the complex which was occupied by Wood Brothers Furniture, which manufactures hand-made wooden furniture.
He says firefighters entered the burning building and found one of the victims just inside the door. She was taken to BJC Hospital in Commerce and later transferred to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. A second victim - a man - was found near the rear of the building and airlifted to Grady.
Nichols said Monday morning both victims - whom he described as homeless - are in critical condition in the burn unit at Grady with second- and third-degree burns and respiratory burns. He says they had entered the place through a basement door and, in fact, had been caught inside the business twice earlier in the week and left when told to leave.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Commerce Fire department and the state Fire Marshal's Office.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2010/3/227790