State officials say a fatal home fire outside Cornelia likely will be ruled accidental.
Personnel from Habersham County Emergency Services, Demorest, Cornelia and Lee Arrendale State Prison fire departments responded to the fire at 961 Lakeview Heights, Cornelia, about 7:30 p.m. Friday.
That fire claimed the life of Jean Arthur Jones Sensow, 79, according to Habersham County Emergency Services Director Chad Black.
Sensow, who was disabled, lived in the home at the intersection of Lakeview Heights and Lakeview Heights Circle with her family and pets.
“The residence was heavily damaged by the fire and it appeared to have started in the area of the stove in the kitchen,” said Brandon Wright of the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s Office. “The body of the deceased was sent to the GBI Crime Lab for autopsy. An official ruling will be made on the fire when the autopsy results are back. However, it will likely be ruled accidental.”
The brick home was about 55 years old and 1,268 square feet, according to Wright. No working smoke detectors were present in the home at the time of the fire.
In 2019, Georgia fires have claimed the lives of 46 individuals.
A gofundme account established for Tammy Sensow and her family over the weekend has raised $4,125 of its $50,000 goal as of Monday afternoon.
The family did not have insurance and their pets perished in the fire.
The fire injured Firefighter Rob Stein of Demorest Fire Department when the ceiling collapsed on to him as he tried to get Sensow out of the burning home. He was treated for burns on his wrist and back and was released from Habersham Medical Center.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2019/7/809534/investigators-continue-to-probe-fatal-habersham-county-fire