A woman was killed in a house fire in Buford early Wednesday morning, according to officials with Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services.
Lt. Donald Strother said a neighbor reported the fire on Kennesaw Street at 2:43 a.m., telling 9-1-1 that they believed someone might be trapped in the basement of the burning house.
"When they arrived, crews found a working fire at a single-story residence on a basement with flames blowing out of the windows at the rear," Strother said in a media statement. "Gwinnett County Police Officers were already on scene and passed on information confirming that an adult female was in the basement."
Strother said fire crews had trouble accessing the house because a vehicle and a trailer were blocking the driveway.
"Fire personnel transitioned into an offensive mode of operation and made entrance through the front door attempting to reach the rear of the house where the bulk of the flames were," Strother said. "Once they reached the center of the house, firefighters had to stop advancing because the floor system had collapsed into the basement. The adjacent stairs had been compromised as well."
At that point, firefighters had to stop rescue efforts and focus on putting out the fire, he said.
The woman has been identified as Febe Santos, age 41. She was in the basement quarantining as a result of COVID. Her husband, who owns a gutter company and is the pastor of a Hispanic church in Duluth, is reportedly in the hospital fighting the virus.
Strother said another woman and four children also were inside the house. They were able to escape without injury.
Strother said investigators have been able to determine the fire started in the basement, but they have not determined how the fire started.
A Gofundme page has been started for the family.
Original story posted Wed., Aug. 25 6:48 a.m.
One person died in a house fire in Buford early Wednesday morning.
Personnel with Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services arrived at the scene on Kennesaw Street around 3 a.m., according to information on the department's social media sites.
Fire personnel remained on the scene for more than three hours, making sure all hot spots were extinguished. Fire investigators are now trying to determine how the fire started.
The name of the victim has not been released.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2021/8/1033170/one-person-killed-in-buford-house-fire